ITUB20159270A1 - System for mounting a support frame for modular electrical appliances. - Google Patents

Description

'' System for mounting a support frame for modular electrical appliances "

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The present invention relates to a system for mounting a support frame for modular electrical appliances to an electrical cable duct.

Known technique

In electrical energy distribution systems in buildings, electrical boxes or panels are usually installed in which one or more device-holder mounting crosspieces are housed, more commonly known as DIN rails or assembly rails for modular electrical devices (switches, life-saving modules, industrial control). Generally, the mounting cross members are mounted on a support frame comprising a pair of vertical support longitudinal members; the mounting crosspieces are spaced parallel to each other in such a way as to be able to support several rows of modular electrical devices. The support frame must be fixed, at a certain height, to an electrical cable duct, oriented vertically and fixed to a wall of the building that houses the electrical panel.

Traditionally, the support frame is fixed to the electrical conduit by means of screws. The fixing operation is not easy for a single installer, who has to keep the frame raised along the duct at the desired height with one hand, while fixing the screws with the other hand. Two people are generally required to perform this operation.

The patent application n. IT-TO2Q14A00Q892 of 30 October 2014, in the name of the same Applicant and not yet public at the time of filing this patent application, proposes a locking mechanism that makes use of a key-shaped locking element with an enlarged head. The head of the locking element is threaded through a hole through the frame and engages in a groove in the electrical conduit. Each groove has an undercut. In this position the frame can be slid along the channels to a desired height. The sliding movement is guided by the enlarged heads inserted in the grooves. To lock the frame to the channels, the operator rotates the handles of the locking elements by 90 ° (a quarter of a turn), around two parallel rotation axes, perpendicular to the wall to which the channels are fixed. The closing movement is similar to that of turning a key in a lock. The two locking elements act on arched ramps formed by the side members of the frame; owing to the engagement of the enlarged heads in the undercut grooves, the locking elements exert a traction which clamps the longitudinal members of the frame against the raceway in the desired vertical position.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the invention to allow a single operator to mount a frame to a cable duct without the need for tools, in a quick, effective and safe manner. In particular, it is desired that the operator can lock the frame, possibly with the modular electrical devices already pre-assembled on the DIN rails, without having to remove his hands from the side members, thus being able to safely support the frame to lock it at the desired height along the raceways. Furthermore, a reliable assembly system is desired, capable of maintaining its functionality over time even after repeated assembly and disassembly cycles.

The above and other objects and advantages, which will be better understood hereinafter, are achieved according to the invention by a system having the characteristics defined in the appended claims.

In summary, an electrical cable duct, which can be fixed vertically to a wall of a building, has a pair of parallel grooves each having an internal undercut surface. A support frame for modular electrical appliances can be fixed to the trunking. The frame comprises two vertical longitudinal members, each of which is lockable along a respective groove of the raceway at adjustable heights and forms one or more through openings. Lever-shaped locking elements are inserted through the openings. Each locking lever is mounted on the longitudinal member in a rotatable way in an oblique rotation plane, that is, inclined with respect to the vertical direction in which the grooves of the raceway extend. The lever forms a rear end foot that can be snapped into the groove. The lever is able to assume two operative angular positions: in a first angular position, of preliminary assembly, the foot is inserted with play in the groove, so that the longitudinal member can slide vertically along the channel. In this condition, the operator can adjust the vertical position of the frame. Once the desired height along the duct has been reached, the operator, with a simple movement of the thumb, can push the locking lever into a second angular locking position. As a result of the aforementioned inclination, that is the angle between the rotation plane of the lever and the groove, the portion of the cantilevered foot is made to advance obliquely in the groove, until it is pressed against the undercut surface.

Brief description of the drawings

The structural and functional characteristics of some preferred but non-limiting embodiments of a mounting system according to the invention will now be described; reference is made to the attached drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are partial perspective views illustrating assembly of an assembly system in a preliminary assembly and adjustment step and in an assembled condition, respectively;

figure 3 is a perspective view of a locking lever;

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of a front face of a longitudinal member;

Figures 5 and 6 are partial perspective views of a rear face of the side member, opposite to that of Figure 4;

figure 7 is another partial perspective view of the front face of a side member;

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively a partial perspective view and a side view showing a locking lever inserted in a longitudinal member in the adjustment condition of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a side view showing the locking lever rotated into the locked condition of Figure 2;

Figure 11 is a front view with a locking lever inserted in a longitudinal member in the adjustment condition of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is a front view with a locking lever inserted in a longitudinal member in the locked condition of Figure 2;

Figure 13 is a top view of a preliminary step in assembling a frame to a raceway;

figure 14 shows an enlargement of a detail of figure 13;

Figure 15 is a top view of an intermediate assembly and adjustment step of the vertical position of a frame with a raceway;

figure 16 shows an enlargement of a detail of figure 15;

Figure 17 is a top view of the frame locked to the raceway;

figure 18 shows an enlargement of a detail of figure 17; And

Figure 19 is a front view of the mounting system.

Detailed description

Referring now to the drawings, the number 10 indicates an electrical cable duct that can be fixed to a vertical wall M of a building.

The duct 10, known per se, has a bottom wall 10a and two lateral ribs 11a, 11b in the form of substantially parallel rectilinear reliefs, projecting forwardly. As used here, the term "front" indicates a direction facing an observer facing the wall to which the electrical conduit 10 is attached. Between the ribs 11a, 11b and the back wall 10a an extended channel 11le is defined. vertically adapted to house electric cables (not shown).

The duct 10 has a pair of parallel grooves 12, extending vertically. Each groove 12 is formed in one of the two lateral ribs 11a, 11b and has a respective opening 13 facing forward and delimited by two facing edges 14. The two edges 14 of each of the openings 13 are spaced apart by a short distance, of the order of a few millimeters. At least one undercut surface 15 is formed inside the groove 12, which is internal to the groove and extends in a vertical plane. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, two undercut surfaces 15, 15a are provided (FIG, 10), located respectively adjacent to the two opposite edges 14 of the opening 13. a respective external vertical surface 16 which serves as a resting surface for one of the two longitudinal members 20 of a support frame for modular electrical appliances.

A frame for supporting modular electrical appliances comprises two vertical and separate longitudinal members 20, each mountable on a respective rib 11a, 11b of the duct 10 and fixable along the grooves 12 at adjustable heights. In a preferential embodiment, the longitudinal members and the raceways are integrally formed of plastic material, for example PS HI, PC, ABS.

The two longitudinal members 20 serve to support a series of horizontal mounting cross members 27 (only one of which is shown). The mounting crosspieces 27 (also called DIN rails or "rails") are each designed to support a plurality of modular electrical devices not shown, such as switches, life-saving modules, industrial control devices.

Each side member 20 has a plurality of support elements 21, spaced from each other, to each of which one of the two opposite ends of a respective mounting cross member 27 must be mounted. The height position of the side members along the respective grooves must be adjusted so that the support elements 21 of each side member are horizontally aligned with a corresponding support element of the other side member, so that the mounting cross members 27 are horizontal. The number and shape of the support elements may vary according to the applications.

Preferably at least one of the two sides of the groove 12 is presented by a rim 17 projecting forward projecting, in such a way as to possess a certain flexibility or ability to flexibly flex in a horizontal bending plane, so as to allow the forced insertion of a foot 41 of a lever-shaped locking element 40. The locking lever 40 serves to lock a longitudinal member 20 along the respective lateral rib 11a or 11b in a selected position or height.

The locking lever 40 has a handle 42 to facilitate its grip and maneuver, a stem 43, the terminal foot 41 and at least one rounded formation 44, preferably two rounded formations in the form of cylindrical pins 44 protruding from opposite sides of the stem 43.

Furthermore, the locking lever 40 has at least one movable opposing surface 45 facing the end foot 41, preferably two movable opposing surfaces 45. In this example, the movable opposing surfaces 45 are presented by a pair of projections 46 which protrude from opposite sides of the stem 43.

The foot 41 has an elongated shape and has two opposite ends 4a, 41b, here defined as the big toe and the heel. The extremity 41a, or big toe, is projecting in a cantilever way.

Foot 41 has:

- a larger dimension, which extends in a first direction that joins the two ends 41a, 41b (heel-big toe) and

- a smaller dimension, extending in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction (heel-toe), having a width which is preferably slightly greater than the distance d between the edges 14 of the opening 13 of the groove 12.

Preferably the larger dimension of the foot 41, i.e. the distance between the two ends 41a and 41b is greater than the distance D between the bottom of the groove 12 and the undercut surface 15.

The side members 20 must be applied against the surfaces! external front verticals 16 of the two respective lateral ribs 11a, 11b. Each side member 20 forms at least one through opening 22 suitable for allowing the passage of a releasable locking lever 40 which serves to lock the side member 20 to the raceway 10 at a chosen height. The through opening 22 is wider than either the foot 41 or the handle 42 to allow its insertion.

In proximity to each opening 22, the longitudinal member can form a pair of elastic teeth 28 adapted to temporarily hold a lever 40 for its stem 43 during a preliminary assembly step.

On two opposite sides of the opening 22, the longitudinal member 20 can have one or more fixed contrast surfaces 25 facing forward. In the illustrated example, two fixed contrast surfaces 25 are connected to a respective convex ramp 26. The or each ramp has a less raised end 26a or arranged flush with the front face of the side member and a more raised end 26b, connected to the fixed contrast surface 25. The fixed contrast surface 25 can be less raised than the end 26b with respect to the front face of the side member.

On two opposite sides of the opening 22, the rear face of the side member has two concave seats 24 (FIG. 5), suitable for receiving the pin formations 44 in support. The seats 24 are aligned in a direction that forms an angle different from 90 °, preferably slightly greater than 90 °, with respect to the vertical longitudinal direction in which the side member extends, for example about 100 °.

The movable contrast surfaces 45 are adapted to cooperate in sliding relationship with the convex ramps 26. To better balance the movements and forces exchanged between the locking lever, the longitudinal member and the raceway, the ramps 26 are preferably arranged symmetrically on the sides opposites of the opening 22.

The convex ramps can have centers of curvature located in proximity to the concave seats 24. According to other embodiments, not illustrated, the ramps 26 can have a rectilinear rather than arched course.

The longitudinal member also forms other parts, such as for example projections S which are used for fixing to other elements such as an electrical panel or a cover, which are not described here as they are irrelevant for the purposes of understanding the present invention.

The locking of the side members on a raceway can be done in the following way. Two side members 20 can be previously connected to each other by means of one or more horizontal cross members or rails 27, before applying the side members to the raceways. The longitudinal members are firstly rested against the external front faces 16 of the ribs 11a, 11b.

For each of the longitudinal members, a respective locking lever 40 is inserted through a through opening 22. The lever is inserted into the opening 22 from the rear side (visible in FIG. 5), introducing it for the handle 42. The pin formations cylindrical 44 are each rested in a respective concave seat 24. The handle 42 can be inserted between the pair of elastic retaining teeth 28, with a slight forcing in such a way as to spread them elastically and then snap between them in the position of FIG. 8. In this configuration, the locking lever 40 is temporarily held on the longitudinal member 20 in a correct position in order to then be able to insert the foot 41 in the groove 12 with the desired angular orientation, as explained further on.

In the illustrated embodiment, in order to maintain the correct positioning of the locking lever 40, the rod 43 forms a shoulder 46 facing the pin formations 44. In the opening 22 one or more elastic lips 23 may protrude which lock snap on the stem 43 between the shoulder 46 and the pin formations 44, preventing the locking lever 40 from accidentally falling through the opening 22 in the phases preceding the coupling to the raceway,

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the locking lever 40 is L-shaped, with the handle 42 forming an angle, in this example approximately 90 °, with respect to the stem 43.

The assembly consisting of a longitudinal member with at least one locking lever inserted as mentioned above is then coupled to the raceway. At first, the operator presses the longitudinal member against the channel. The foot 41 protrudes behind the side member (FIGS. 13 and 14) and rests on the edges of the groove 12, precisely on the facing edges 14 of the opening 13 of the groove 12. The locking lever is in an angular position such that the end 41a (called `` big toe '') of foot 41 slightly interferes with an edge 14 of the groove. By pressing the longitudinal member against the raceway, the foot 41 snaps into the groove 12 (FIGS. 15 and 16). Snap insertion is facilitated if, as in the example illustrated, one of the two edges of the groove (edge 17 in this case) is relatively flexible, for example presented by a cantilever formation or, alternatively, made from a wall thinner.

Once inserted, inside the groove 12 at least a part of the big toe 41a of the foot faces the undercut surface 15 (FIG. 16). The foot 41 is received with lateral or horizontal play inside the groove 12.

In this condition, the frame including the two longitudinal members, preferably already connected by mounting crosspieces, can be made to slide along the grooves 12 of the left 11a and right 11b ribs, until the frame is positioned at the desired height. The sliding movement is guided by the feet 41 inserted with play in the grooves 12.

At this point the operator, with a simple movement of a thumb, pushes the handles 42 towards the channel (FIG. 2 and 17), making the levers rotate in the concave seats 24. Each lever 40 rotates in an inclined plane of rotation P , ie forming an angle a with respect to the vertical direction V in which the grooves 12 extend (FIG. 19). As a result of this angle, the rotation of the lever involves the oblique advancement of the foot of the lever inside the groove, i.e. with a transversal displacement component that carries the big toe 41a behind the undercut surface 15 (FIG.

17 and 18). At the end of the rotation movement, the movable contrast surfaces 45 of the locking lever 40 are abutting against the fixed contrast surfaces 25 of the side member. The locking lever remains in traction between the side member and the channel, so that the side member remains tightened against the channel and locked in position with respect to it.

Preferably, the rotation of the lever causes the other end or heel 41b of the foot 41 to forcibly interfere against the bottom of the groove (FIG. 18). In this condition, the longitudinal member is firmly clamped against the duct and locked in position with respect to it both longitudinally (or vertically) and both transversely or laterally and horizontally, i.e. perpendicular to the wall.

A particularly stable clamping takes place if a metal clamping lever is used, which deforms the plastic material of the duct. The heel can be pointed to anchor even more firmly in the groove.

Disassembly can be carried out simply by turning the lever handles in the opposite direction, moving them away from the duct.

The longitudinal member may have retaining teeth 47 suitable for releasably retaining the handle 42 of the lever 40 when this is in the locking position, rotated towards the raceway.

Preferably, the convex ramps 26 are eccentric with respect to the concave seats 24, to act as cams cooperating with the movable and contrasting surfaces 45 of the locking lever. According to an embodiment, the distance between the ramp 26 and the concave seat 24 can progressively increase from the less raised end 26a towards the more raised end 26b.

If the fixed contrast surface 25 is less in relief than the end 26 with respect to the front face of the side member, i.e. less distant from the concave seat 24 than the more prominent end 26b is, the latter can define a top dead center which helps to keep the lever 40 stably in the locked position.

As you will appreciate, the frame can be mounted on the cable trays in a practical and fast way. The user can mount the frame with two hands without the use of tools and without screws. He can hold the frame stably at the desired height, using his thumbs to operate the locking levers. Locking is not entrusted to small plastic components, which are liable to break or wear out after a few locking and unlocking cycles.

Various aspects and embodiments of the mounting system have been described. It is understood that each embodiment can be combined with any other embodiment. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but may be varied within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS 1. System for mounting a support frame for modular electrical appliances to an electrical cable holder (10) that can be fixed to a building wall, where the conduit includes a pair of parallel and spaced vertical lateral ribs (11a, llb) l one from the other, where each rib (11a, 11b) has a vertical external surface (16), in use facing away from the wall, and a vertically extended groove (12) having at least one internal undercut surface (15) lying in a vertical plane posterior to the outer surface (16), the system comprising: a support frame comprising two vertical side members (20), each lockable along a respective of the two grooves (12) at adjustable heights, where each side member has a plurality of vertically spaced support means (21) to support mounting cross members (27) which they extend horizontally between the two side members to support modular electrical appliances; and a plurality of locking elements (40) for removably locking the longitudinal members (20) to the raceway (10); characterized by the fact that each side member (20) has at least one through opening (22) and at least one fixed contrast surface (25) facing forward; each locking element (40) is a locking lever inserted through a respective through opening (22) of a longitudinal member (20) and mounted on the longitudinal member in a rotatable manner in a plane of rotation (P) inclined with respect to a vertical direction (V ), where the lever comprises a handle (42) projecting forward from the side member, a rear end foot (41) having a projecting cantilever portion (41a), and at least one movable contrast surface (45) facing towards the side member (20); the lever being able to assume two operative angular positions in the rotation plane (P): a first angular position, in which the foot (41) is inserted with play in the groove (12), so that the side member can slide vertically along the raceway (10); a second angular position, in which the portion (4a) of the cantilevered foot is pressed against the undercut surface (15) in the groove (12) and the movable contrast surface (45) of the locking lever (40) is pressed against the fixed contrast surface (25) of the side member, so that the side member (20) is locked with respect to the channel (10). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking lever (40) further forms at least one rounded formation (44) which engages pivotally in at least one corresponding seat (24) which is formed by the respective side member (20) and extends in a direction which forms an angle other than 90 ° to the vertical direction (V) in which the grooves (12) extend. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking lever (40) forms a stem (43) that connects the handle (42) to the foot (41), two cylindrical pin formations (44), which protrude from opposite sides of the stem (43), e they engage pivotally in two respective seats (24) formed by the respective longitudinal member (20) and both aligned in a direction that forms an angle other than 90 ° with respect to the vertical direction (V) in which the grooves (12) extend. 4. System according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the two seats (24) are concave seats arranged on two opposite sides of the same through opening (22). 5. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking lever (40) forms a shoulder (46) facing the pin formations (44), and the longitudinal member forms retaining means (23) adapted to engage against the shoulder (46). 6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding means (23) comprise one or more lips formed in the opening (22). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking lever (40) is L-shaped, with the handle (42) forming an angle with respect to the stem (43) which carries the terminal foot (41) ). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each side member forms, adjacent to each through opening (22), elastic retaining means (28) adapted to temporarily hold the locking lever (40) in a determined position before inserting the terminal foot (41) into the groove (12). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the terminal foot (41) has two opposite ends (4a, 41b), one of which forms the projecting cantilever portion (41a), where the two opposite ends define between them a length greater than the distance (D) between a bottom wall of the groove (12) and the undercut surface (15), whereby when the locking lever is rotated into the second angular position, the first end (41a) of the foot is pressed against the undercut surface (15) in the groove (12), and the second end (41b) of the foot is pressed against the bottom wall of the groove (12). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the longitudinal member (20) has retaining elements (47) able to releasably hold the handle (42) of the lever (40) when the lever is in the second angular position. 11. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking lever (40) has two of said movable contrast surfaces (45), protruding on opposite sides of the stem (43), 12. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one fixed contrast surface (25) is connected to a respective ramp (26) which has a first end (26a) less in relief than a front face of the side member and a second end (26b) more in relief with respect to said front face of the side member. 13. System according to claim 12, characterized in that the fixed contrast surface (25) is less raised than the second end (26b) of the ramp with respect to said front face of the side member. System according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the at least one ramp (26) is a forward convex one. System according to claim 12, 13 or 14, characterized in that the at least one ramp (26) is eccentric with respect to the concave seat (24) and that the distance between the ramp (26) and the concave seat (24) increases progressively from the first less in relief end (26a) towards the second more in relief end (26b). System according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the ramps (26) are two, arranged on respective opposite sides of the opening (22). 17, System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking lever (40) is made of metallic material.