ES3038204A1 - Cable marker, and use of the marker to mark cables of different diameters (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Marker (1) for cables, and use of the marker (1) to mark cables of different diameters. The marker (1) is a single-piece, elastically deformable tubular profile made of opaque material. It has a peripheral wall (2) that delimits an interior space (3) closed for the passage of a first cable. The peripheral wall (2) forms an elastically deformable open loop (5) to accommodate the first cable in the interior space (3). The peripheral wall (2) further forms a closed loop (8) that delimits a closed compartment (9), separate from the interior space (3), for the passage of a second cable. The closed loop (8) is elastically deformable to accommodate the second cable in the closed compartment (9). The marker (1) comprises, on an outer face (6) of the peripheral wall (2), a cable identification sign (7). (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

CABLE MARKER, AND USE OF THE MARKER TO MARK CABLES

OF DIFFERENT DIAMETER

Field of invention

The invention lies in the field of cable marking and relates to markers that are attached to cables to distinguish them from one another. The cables may be, for example, electrical cables, signal cables, and fiber optic cables, without excluding other types of cable.

More specifically, the invention relates to a cable marker of the type consisting of a one-piece, elastically deformable profile made of opaque material. The marker has a tubular shape which, in cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the profile, has a peripheral wall that delimits a closed interior space for the passage of a cable in that longitudinal direction. In the marker's resting state, the peripheral wall forms an open loop that projects outward from the interior space and is elastically deformable, enlarging the interior space to accommodate the cable. The marker includes, on an outer face of the peripheral wall, a cable identification marking.

The invention also relates to a use of the signaler to signal cables of different diameters.

State of the art

Cable markers of the type described above are known. Figure 1 shows a cable marker of this type marketed by the applicant under the registered trademark “UNEX” (product “Unex 2-5 mm Pre-cut Marker in Plasticized PVC”, reference 1811). Document EP121454A1 discloses cable markers of a different type, which are semi-rigid, without the open loop, with an open interior space for lateral cable entry, and with studs on one face and corresponding blind holes on the opposite face for assembling several markers in series. Document FR2667426A1 discloses some markers that are also of a different type, similar to those in document EP121454A1, and which have the particularity of not being made of opaque material, but of transparent material, and that the cable marking is in a separate piece that is inserted into a housing of the marker and is visible from the outside through the transparent wall of the marker.

Description of the invention

The invention aims to provide a cable marker of the type indicated at the beginning, offering greater versatility for marking and ordering cable bundles, without significantly increasing the cost of the marker, and in such a way that the marker can be used in the same way as previous markers of this type and provides good fixation of the marker to the cable.

This purpose is achieved by means of a cable marker of the type described at the beginning, characterized in that the peripheral wall also forms a closed loop that projects into the interior space and delimits a closed compartment, separated from said interior space, for the passage of a second cable in the longitudinal direction. This closed loop is elastically deformable to enlarge said closed compartment and accommodate said second cable within it. This configuration according to the invention allows the same marker to be used to mark either a first cable that passes through the interior space in the same way as in the marker of the prior art, or a second cable, with a smaller diameter than the first cable, that passes through the closed compartment formed by the closed loop. Furthermore, as will be seen later in the detailed description of the embodiments, when the marker is used to mark the first cable passing through the interior space, the marker is more securely attached to said first cable thanks to the elastic deformation of the closed loop, which cooperates with the elastic deformation of the open loop.

Preferably, in the signal's rest position, the closed loop faces the open loop in the cross-section. This configuration provides better support of the signal to the first wire, thanks to improved cooperation between the elastic deformation of the open loop and the elastic deformation of the closed loop in retaining the first wire in the longitudinal direction.

Preferably, in the signal's rest position, the open and closed loops in the cross-section form opposing and parallel support surfaces for the first cable. This configuration provides better simultaneous elastic deformation of the open and closed loops due to the presence of the first cable in the interior space, resulting in a more balanced seating of the first cable between the two opposing support surfaces, each of which forms a concave area due to the elastic deformation of the open and closed loops.

Preferably, in the signaler's rest position, the closed compartment has an oblong shape in cross-section. This configuration makes it easier for the user to pass a second cable, with a diameter larger than the compartment's narrowest point, through the closed compartment. Threading the second cable through the oblong closed compartment is simpler. Furthermore, the closed loop deforms elastically more readily to increase its width and accommodate the cable.

Preferably, in the signal's rest position, the oblong shape of the closed compartment, in cross-section, has its longest dimension in a plane facing the open loop. This configuration facilitates the formation of a concavity on the surface of the closed loop, facing a corresponding concavity on the surface of the open loop, due to the elastic deformation of the closed and open loops. This results in improved retention of the first wire held between the open and closed loops.

The markings can be placed anywhere on the outer surface of the marking device. However, in preferred embodiments, the outer face of the perimeter wall comprising the markings is an outer face of the enclosed perimeter that defines the compartment. This ensures that the markings are not obscured by the second cable and remain clearly visible.

Preferably, in the rest position of the signaler, in cross-section, the signaler is symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry comprising the longitudinal direction, and each of the open loop and the closed loop is symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry. This symmetrical shape facilitates cable routing by the user and also improves the signaler's attachment to each cable.

The invention also comprises a use of the cable marker according to the invention described above, for marking a single cable which may be a first cable or a second cable of smaller diameter than that of the first cable, wherein:

- said signaling device is attached to said first cable, said first cable passing through the interior space in the longitudinal direction, said first cable being held under pressure between the open loop and the closed loop by an elastic deformation of said open loop and said closed loop;

- or the same signaler is attached to said second cable, of smaller diameter than said first cable, said second cable passing through said closed compartment in said longitudinal direction, said second cable being held under pressure in the closed compartment by an elastic deformation of said closed loop.

The invention also comprises other detailed features shown in the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention and in the accompanying figures.

Brief description of the drawings

The advantages and characteristics of the invention are appreciated from the following description in which, without limiting the scope of the main claim, preferred embodiments of the invention are set out by mentioning the figures.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cable marker belonging to the prior art and not part of the invention.

Figures 2 to 6 show a preferred embodiment of a cable marker according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the signaler, according to section plan 11-11 indicated in Fig. 4, in a resting state without cables.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the signaler in its resting state without cables.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the signaler in its resting state without wires.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the signaler, according to section plane II-II, in a state of elastic deformation and with the first cable inserted into the interior space.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the signaler, according to section plane II-II, in a state of elastic deformation and with the second cable inserted into the closed compartment.

Detailed description of some ways of carrying out the invention

The prior art cable marker 1’ shown in Fig. 1 corresponds to the product “Unex 2-5 mm precut marker in plasticized PVC”, reference 1811, marketed by the applicant himself under the registered trademark “UNEX”.

The cable marker 1 according to the invention, in the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 6, is a variant of the previous cable marker of Fig. 1, differing from the latter only in that it comprises the closed compartment 9 formed by the closed loop 8. Therefore, in Figs. 1 and 2-6, the same numerical references have been used for the peripheral wall 2, the interior space 3, and the open loop 5. In 10 that follows, only the marker 1 according to the invention shown in Figs. 2-6 will be described.

Marker 1 is a one-piece, tubular, elastically deformable profile made of opaque material. Preferably, it is obtained by extrusion of a polymeric material. In the example shown, the polymeric material of marker 1 is plasticized PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The opaque nature of the material allows a printed or engraved marking 7 on the outer surface of marker 1 to be clearly visible, regardless of the color of cable 4a or 4b, as long as the marking 7 contrasts with the color of the opaque material of marker 1. For example, in the preferred embodiments, marker 1 is yellow and marking 7 is black. The elastically deformable nature of the signaler 1 allows the elastic deformation of the open loop 5 and the closed loop 8 to accommodate the cables 4a or 4b, respectively, in the inner space 3 and in the closed compartment 9, to maintain the attachment of the signaler 1 to one of these cables 4a, 4b, as will be seen later.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of signal 1 in its resting state, without cables. The section is in plane II-II, indicated in Figure 4, which is a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the constituent profile of signal 1. The longitudinal direction L is shown in Figures 3 and 4. The shape of signal 1 in its resting state, described below, is the cross-sectional shape shown in Figure 2.

The signaler 1 has a continuous peripheral wall 2 that delimits a closed interior space 3. At a lower end (in the view of Fig. 2), the peripheral wall 2 forms an open loop 5 that projects into the interior space 3 and is elastically deformable, towards the outside of the interior space 3, to enlarge said interior space 3 and accommodate a first cable 4a that passes through said interior space 3 in the longitudinal direction L.

At one upper end of the signaler 1 (in the view of Fig. 2), opposite the lower end where the open loop 5 is formed, the peripheral wall 2 also forms a closed loop 8 that faces the open loop 5 and projects into the interior space 3, delimiting a closed compartment 9 separate from said interior space 3. The closed loop 8 is elastically deformable to enlarge the closed compartment 9 and accommodate a second cable 4b that passes through said closed compartment 9 in the longitudinal direction L. The open loop 5 and the closed loop 8 respectively form opposing and parallel support surfaces 10, I I, for supporting the first cable 4a when it is inserted into the interior space 3. The closed compartment 9 has an oblong shape, with its longest dimension in a plane facing the open loop 5 (a horizontal plane in the view of Fig. 2).

Signal 1 is symmetric with respect to a plane of symmetry comprising the longitudinal direction L. In the view of Fig. 2, the plane of symmetry is a vertical median plane. The open loop 5 and the closed loop 8 are each symmetric with respect to this same plane of symmetry.

As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the indicator 1 comprises, on an outer face 6 of the peripheral wall 2, a cable identification marking 7 intended to indicate the nature of either the first cable 4a or the second cable 4b. The outer face 6 where the marking 7 is located is a flat outer face of the closed loop 8, extending parallel to the plane of the longer dimension of the oblong shape of the closed compartment 9 (a horizontal plane in the view of Fig. 2). In Figs. 3 and 4, the marking 7 shown is a number (the number "1" in this case), but it can be any other type of symbol. The marking 7 can be printed with permanent ink on the outer face 6 or can be made in any other way, for example, by laser marking, embossing, or engraving.

As can be seen in the top view of Fig. 4, the constituent profile of the marker 1 is cut such that its opposite faces in the longitudinal direction L (the left and right sides in Fig. 4) have a shape that does not lie in a plane perpendicular to this longitudinal direction L, with the shape of one face being complementary to the shape of the opposite face. This allows two or more markers 1, arranged adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction L and attached to the same cable 4a or 4b, to fit together. The fit of the markers 1 prevents them from rotating relative to one another. This allows several markers 1 to be used to form an indication composed of the signals 7 of the different markers, without this indication being disrupted by a relative rotation of the markers 1.

To attach the signal 1 to a first cable 4a, the user passes the first cable 4a through the inner space 3 in the longitudinal direction L. The first cable 4a, which has a larger diameter than the separation distance between the open loop 5 and the closed loop 8, is compressed between the open loop 5 and the closed loop 8. These loops deform elastically to enlarge the inner space 3 and accommodate the first cable 4a. The cross-sectional view in Fig. 5 shows the elastic deformation of the signal 1 with the first cable 4a inserted into the inner space 3. The open loop 5 deforms elastically outward from the inner space 3, pushed by the first cable 4a, losing its initial loop shape. The support surface 10 deforms, creating a concavity in which the first cable 4a rests. The inner wall of the closed loop 8, i.e. the wall separating the closed compartment 9 and the interior space 3, is elastically deformed, pushed by the first cable 4a. The support surface 11 is also deformed, creating a concavity in which the first cable 4a rests.

To attach the same signal 1 to a second cable 4b, which has a smaller diameter than the first cable 4a, the user passes this second cable 4b through the closed compartment 9 in the longitudinal direction L. The second cable 4b, which has a diameter greater than the minimum width of the closed compartment 9, is compressed within the closed compartment 9, and the closed loop 8 deforms elastically to accommodate the second cable 4b. The cross-sectional view in Fig. 6 shows the state of elastic deformation of the signal 1 with the second cable 4b inserted into the closed compartment 9. The walls of the closed loop 8 deform elastically, bulging, pushed by the second cable 4b.

The user can advantageously use the same marker to mark either a first cable 4a or a second cable 4b of smaller diameter. Marker 1 is attached to only one cable at a time: either the first cable 4a passing through the inner space 3, or the second cable 4b passing through the enclosed compartment 9. It is not intended to attach marker 1 simultaneously to the first cable 4a and the second cable 4b.

In preferred embodiments, the signaler 1 is dimensioned to be able to be fixed, as described above, to a first cable 4a with a diameter between 2 and 5 mm, which is press-fitted into the inner space 3, and, not simultaneously, to a second cable 4b with a smaller diameter than the first cable 4a and between 1 and 2 mm, which is press-fitted into the closed compartment 9.

Claims (7)

1. A cable marker (1) comprising a one-piece, elastically deformable profile of opaque material, said marker (1) having a tubular shape which, in cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction (L) of the profile, has a peripheral wall (2) delimiting a closed interior space (3) of said marker (1) for the passage of a first cable (4a) in said longitudinal direction (L), said peripheral wall (2) forming, in a rest state of said marker (1), an open loop (5) projecting into said interior space (3) and elastically deformable, outwards from said interior space (3), to enlarge said interior space (3) and accommodate said first cable (4a) in said interior space (3); and said marker (1) comprising, on an outer face (6) of said peripheral wall (2), a cable identification marking (7); characterized in that said peripheral wall (2) further forms a closed loop (8) that projects into said interior space (3) and that delimits a closed compartment (9), separated from said interior space (3), for the passage of a second cable (4b) in said longitudinal direction (L), said closed loop (8) being elastically deformable to enlarge said closed compartment (9) and accommodate said second cable (4b) in said closed compartment (9). 2. Signaler (1) for cables according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the rest position of the signaler (1), in said cross section, said closed loop (8) is facing said open loop (5). 3. Signaler (1) for cables according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the rest position of the signaler, in said cross section, said open loop (5) and said closed loop (8) respectively form facing and parallel support surfaces (10, 11) for the support of said first cable (4a). 4. Signaler (1) for cables according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the rest position of the signaler (1), in said cross section, said closed compartment (9) has an oblong shape. 5. Signaler (1) for cables according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the rest position of the signaler (1), in said cross section, said oblong shape of the closed compartment (9) has its largest dimension in a plane facing said open loop (5). 6. - Signaler (1) for cables according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said outer face (6) of the peripheral wall (2) comprising the signaling (7) is an outer face of said closed loop (8). 7. - Signaler (1) for cables according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, in the rest position of the signaler (1), in said cross section, said signaler (1) is symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry comprising said longitudinal direction (L), and each of said open loop (5) and said closed loop (8) is symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry. - Use of a cable marker (1) according to any of claims 1 to 7, for marking a single cable which may be a first cable (4a) or a second cable (4b) of smaller diameter than that of said first cable (4a), wherein: - said signal (1) is attached to said first cable (4a), said first cable (4a) passing through said interior space (3) in said longitudinal direction (L), said first cable (4a) being held under pressure between said open loop (5) and said closed loop (8) by an elastic deformation of said open loop (5) and said closed loop (8); - or the same signal (1) is attached to said second cable (4b), of smaller diameter than said first cable (4a), said second cable (4b) passing through said closed compartment (9) in said longitudinal direction (L), said second cable (4b) being held under pressure in said closed compartment (9) by an elastic deformation of said closed loop (8).