SECURING DEVICE
20220128121 ยท 2022-04-28
Inventors
Cpc classification
F16G11/14
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F16G11/101
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F16G11/106
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
F16G11/10
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F16G11/14
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
A securing device (10) for securing an elongate article (12) comprises a rotatable clamping member (22), and a support arrangement for supporting the clamping member (22). The clamping member (22) is rotatably mounted on the support arrangement. The securing device (10) defines a pathway (30) for the elongate article (12). The clamping member (22) is rotatably movable into the pathway (30). The support arrangement further includes an urging formation (20) for urging the clamping member (22) into a clamping position in said pathway (30).
Claims
1. A securing device for securing an elongate article, the securing device comprising: a rotatable clamping member; a support arrangement for supporting the clamping member; wherein the clamping member is rotatably mounted on the support arrangement; the securing device defining a pathway for the elongate article, wherein the clamping member is rotatably movable into the pathway; and the support arrangement further includes an urging formation for urging the clamping member into a clamping position in said pathway.
2. A securing device according to claim 1, wherein the support arrangement comprises a rotatable carriage, the clamping member being held on the carriage, whereby rotation of the carriage effects rotation of the clamping member.
3. A securing device according to claim 2, wherein the urging formation is provided on the carriage, the carriage being rotatable to move the clamping member away from the clamping position to a release position.
4. A securing device according to claim 2, wherein the carriage is rotatable in a first direction to rotate the clamping member to the clamping position, and the carriage is rotatable in a second direction opposite to the first direction to rotate the clamping member to a release position to release the elongate article.
5. A securing device according to claim 4, wherein the carriage is rotatably urged by the urging formation in the first direction to move the clamping member into said pathway.
6. (canceled)
7. A securing device according to claim 2, in which the carriage comprises an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion extending around an inner region of the carriage, and the carriage includes an inner portion extending across the inner region.
8. A securing device according to claim 7, wherein the outer portion defines opposed access formations to allow access to and from an internal region of the carriage by the elongate article.
9. A securing device according to claim 7, wherein the urging formation is provided on the inner portion.
10. A securing device according to claim 2, wherein the securing device comprises a housing to house the clamping member, the carriage being rotatably mounted on the housing.
11. A securing device according to claim 10, wherein the housing comprises an engaging surface to engage the elongate article when the clamping member is urged into clamping engagement with the elongate article.
12. A securing device according to claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a wall extending around an internal region of the housing, the internal region being arranged to receive the urging formation, and the wall defining a pair of opposed openings through which the elongate article can extend.
13. A securing device according to claim 11, wherein the housing includes a support portion for supporting the pivot formation, the support portion comprising a plurality of elongate support members extending from the wall to a central member.
14. A securing device according to claim 10, wherein the support arrangement comprises a pivot formation to rotatably mount the clamping member on the support arrangement, and the housing includes a support portion for supporting the pivot formation.
15. A securing device according to claim 14, wherein the carriage defines an aperture to receive the pivot formation, and wherein the pivot formation rotatably mounts the carriage on the housing.
16. A securing device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping member comprises a main part and a clamping surface on the main part, the clamping surface being for effecting the aforesaid clamping engagement with the elongate article.
17. (canceled)
18. A securing device according to claim 1, wherein the urging formation comprises a hub portion and an urging member extending from the hub portion, and the securing device further includes a reaction surface to apply a reaction force to the urging formation, thereby causing the urging formation to urge the clamping member to the clamping position.
19. (canceled)
20. A securing device according to claim 2, wherein the carriage and the clamping member comprise cooperating holding formations to hold the clamping member on the carriage, thereby allowing the clamping member and the carriage to rotate together.
21. A securing device according to claim 20, wherein the cooperating holding formations comprise a holding projection on the carriage to hold the clamping member, and a surface of the clamping member to cooperate with the holding projection.
22. A securing device according to claim 21, wherein the cooperating holding formations comprise two of the holding projections, wherein the clamping member is held between the holding projections, and the cooperating holding formations further comprise two surfaces of the clamping member, each surface being arranged to cooperate with a respective one of the holding projections.
23. A securing device according to claim 22, wherein each holding projection comprises a receiving element shaped to receive said corner of the clamping member, the receiving element being substantially V-shaped.
24. (canceled)
25. (canceled)
Description
[0081] At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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[0100] The drawings show a securing device 10 for securing two elongate articles 12 extending through the securing device 10. The two elongate articles 12 may be two separate elongate articles or two passes of the same elongate article 12. For the purposes of this specific description, the securing device 10 is described in use with a single elongate article 12 arranged in two passes through the securing device 10.
[0101] The securing device 10 comprises a housing 14, a carriage 16 within the housing 14 and a cover 18 on the housing 14, the cover 18 being arranged over the carriage 16. In the embodiment shown, the elongate article 12 is a monofilament formed from a plastics material, such as nylon.
[0102] Referring to
[0103] The housing 14 is shown in more detail in
[0104] Each pair of opposed openings 28 comprises an entry opening 28A and an exit opening 28B. The elongate article 12 is inserted into the housing 14 via the entry openings 28A and exit the housing 14 via the exit openings 28B.
[0105] Each pair of opposed openings 28 defines a respective pathway 30 for the elongate article 12. The pathways 30 extend between the opposed entry and exit openings 28A, 28B in each pair of openings 28. In
[0106] The wall 24 also includes two opposed engaging members 32 in the form of segments of the cylindrical wall 24 (see
[0107] The engaging surfaces 34 are opposite each other, and face one another. The engaging surfaces 34 extend along the pathways 30 to provide respective surfaces against which the two passes of a single elongate article 12 are clamped by the clamping member 22.
[0108] The carriage 16, the clamping member 22, and the engaging surfaces 34 together constitute a clamping arrangement. The clamping arrangement clamps the two passes of the elongate article 12.
[0109] The housing 14 also includes a pivot formation, in the form of a pivot projection 36, to rotatably mount the carriage 16 and the clamping member 22 on the housing 14. In addition, the housing 14 includes a support portion in the form of a plurality of elongate support members 38.
[0110] The support members 38 extend from the wall 24 to a central member 40, thereby supporting the pivot projection 36. The pivot projection 36 extends from the central member 40.
[0111] The pivot projection 36 is provided on the central member 40 and extends through the internal region 26 of the housing 14. In the orientation of the housing 14 shown in
[0112] The housing 14 has a flange member 42 extending radially outwardly from the wall 24. The purpose of the flange member 42 is explained below.
[0113] The wall 24 has two first fastening formations 44 held in respective recesses 46 in the wall 24. The cover 18 has two corresponding second fastening formations 48 (see
[0114] The carriage 16 is shown in more detail in
[0115] The outer portion 50 extends around an inner region 56 of the carriage, and has an open face 58 to allow access to the inner region 56. The inner portion 52 extends across the inner region 56 of the carriage.
[0116] The wall 24 of the housing 14 is received in the inner region 56 of the carriage 16, so that when the securing device 10 is assembled, the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16 extends around the wall 24. When so received, the opposed entry and exit openings 28A, 28B in the wall 24 of the housing 14 are aligned with the opposed elongate slots 54 defined by the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16. The slots 54 are elongate to allow the carriage 16 to be rotated when the two passes of the elongate article 12 extend through the securing device 10.
[0117] When the wall 24 of the housing 14 is received in the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16, the wall 24 engages the flange member 42, and is supported by the flange member 42.
[0118] The elongate inner portion 52 has first and second carrying surfaces 60, 62 facing in opposite directions. The first carrying surface 60 faces away from the inner region 56 around which the outer portion 50 extends. The second carrying surface 62 faces into the inner region 56.
[0119] The urging formation 20 is provided on the first carrying surface 60, and is integral therewith. The second carrying surface 62 and the clamping member 22 are provided with corresponding holding formations to hold the clamping member 22 on the second carrying surface 62.
[0120] The clamping member 22 comprises a main part 64 and opposite clamping surfaces 66 on the main part 64 (see
[0121] The cooperating holding formations comprise two holding projections 68 on the second carrying surface 62. The holding projections project from the second carrying surface 62 to hold the clamping member 22 therebetween. A lug 70 is provided on one of the holding projections 68. The lug 70 is received by a cavity 72 defined by the clamping member 22 at a corner thereof. The other of the holding projections 68 comprises a substantially V-shaped receiving element shaped to receive a corner 74 of the clamping member 22. Thus, the clamping member 22 is held by the carriage 16.
[0122] The inner portion 52 of the carriage 16 defines a central aperture 76 through which the pivot projection 36 extends to rotatably mount the carriage 16 on the housing 14. The main part 64 of the clamping member 22 defines a central aperture 78.
[0123] When the clamping member 22 is held by the holding formations of the carriage 16, the central aperture 76 defined by the carriage 16 is aligned with the central aperture 78 defined by the clamping member 22 so that the pivot projection 36 extends through both central apertures 76, 78. In the embodiment shown in
[0124] The urging formation 20 comprises a hub portion 80 (see
[0125] The distal end 86 of each urging member 82 engages the cover 18 to provide a reaction force on each urging member 82, as explained below.
[0126] The cover 18 is shown in more detail in
[0127] The first fastening formations 44 on the wall 24 of the housing 14 comprise detent members. The second fastening formations 48 on the cover 18 extend from the capping portion 88. Each second fastening formation 48 defines an aperture 90 to receive the detent members of the first fastening formations 44, thereby securing the housing 14 to the cover 18. The two corresponding second fastening formations 48 extend from the capping portion 88 in the same direction as each other substantially perpendicular to the capping portion 88.
[0128] As discussed above, the wall 24 of the housing 14 is received by the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16. In order to engage the first fastening formations 44 on the wall 24 of the housing 14, the second fastening formations 48 are also received by the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16. Thus, the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16 extends around the wall 24 and the second fastening formations 48, thereby allowing the second fastening formations 44, 48 to cooperate with each other and fasten the cover 18 to the housing 14, thereby holding the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16 between the flange member 42 of the housing 14, and the capping portion 88 of the cover 18.
[0129] The cover 18 includes a pair of opposed reaction members 92, each reaction member 92 having a respective reaction surface 94. The reaction surfaces 94 face each other.
[0130] In the embodiment shown, the reaction members 92 extend from the second fastening formations 48, but it will be appreciated that the reaction members 92 could be arranged at other locations around the cover 18.
[0131] The reaction members 92 extend from the capping portion 88 in the same direction and are thereby disposed in an opposed arrangement relative to each other. As a result, the reaction members 92 define a space therebetween in which the urging formation 20 is received.
[0132] The distal end 86 of each urging member 82 engages a respective one of the reaction surfaces 94 and are resiliently deformed by their engagement with the reaction surfaces 94, thereby rotatably urging the carriage 16 and the clamping member 22 in a first direction, so that the clamping member 22 is rotated towards the clamping position. The first direction is shown by the arrows A in
[0133] The carriage 16 comprises two handle portions 96 on the outer portion 50 to allow a user to rotate the carriage 16 in second direction opposite to the first direction, as shown by the arrow B in
[0134] The handle portions 96 are arranged substantially opposite each other on the outer portion 50, and project outwardly from the outer portion 50 between the capping portion 88 of the cover 18 and the flange member 42 of the housing 14.
[0135] When the carriage 16 is rotated in the second direction, by twisting the carriage 16, the clamping member 22 is moved out of the clamping position, as shown in
[0136] The operation of the securing device 10 will now be described with reference to
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[0138] A first end 12A of the elongate article 12 is fed into the housing 14 through a first of the opposed slots 54 in the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16 and through one of the opposed entry openings 28A of a first pair of the opposed openings 28.
[0139] The elongate article 12 is fed into the securing device 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow C in
[0140] The rotation of the carriage 16 in the second direction indicated by the arrow D in
[0141] Referring to
[0142] The first end 12A of the elongate article 12 is fed through a hole in an item to be suspended, for example signage. The first end 12A is then fed back into the securing device 10 via a second of the opposed slots 54 and through the entry opening 28A of the second pair of the opposed openings 28, as shown by the arrows G in
[0143] The elongate article 12 is then fed back through the securing device 10 along the second pathway 30. The first end 12A of the elongate article 12 engages and pushes the clamping member 22. This causes the clamping member 22 and the carriage 16 to rotate in the second direction so that the clamping member 22 is again moved away from the clamping position, as indicated by the arrows H in
[0144] Referring to
[0145] Movement of the elongate article 12 is then ceased. The urging force applied by the urging formation 20 to the carriage 16 urges the carriage 16 and the clamping member 22 in the first direction shown by the arrow J in
[0146] In order to clamp the elongate article 12 tightly by the clamping member 22, the two passes of elongate article 12 are then pulled in the direction opposite to the direction in which the elongate article 12 was fed into the securing device, as shown by the arrows K and L in
[0147] Referring to
[0148] In order to prevent insertion of the elongate article 12 into the housing 14 via the exit openings 28B instead of via the entry openings 28A, each of the exit openings 28B is provided with a blocking member 97. The blocking member 97 is shown as part of the securing device 10, shown in
[0149] Only one blocking member 97 is shown in
[0150] Each blocking member 97 comprises a tab portion 98 extending over and around the exit opening 28B. Each blocking member 97 further includes an attachment portion 99 extending from the tab portion 98 to attach the respective blocking member 97 to the carriage 16 in a location at which each tab portion 98 extends over the respective exit opening 28B.
[0151] When the elongate article 12 is inserted correctly into the housing 14, via the entry opening 28A to exit via the exit opening 28B, the elongate article 12 pushes the blocking member 97 out of the way. However, if the user attempts to insert the elongate article 12 into the exit opening 28B, the tab portion 98 prevents such insertion.
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[0153] Referring to
[0154] The region marked I indicates a first clearance, namely a clearance between the wall 24 of the housing 14 and the outer portion 50 of the carriage 16. In the embodiment shown, the first clearance is substantially 3.51% of the outer diameter of the wall of the housing 14. In the embodiment shown, the first clearance is substantially 0.61 mm.
[0155] The region marked II indicates a second clearance, namely a clearance between the clamping member 22 and the pivot projection 36. In the embodiment shown, the second clearance is substantially 16.66% of the diameter of the pivot projection 36. In the embodiment shown, the second clearance is substantially 0.5 mm.
[0156] The above clearances between the various components indicated above allows linear movement between the carriage 16 and the housing 14, and between the lug 70 on the carriage and the clamping member 22 at the cavity 72. This linear motion allows the various components to shift their position in the event of differences the diameter of the elongate article 12 in the two passes thereof, thereby assuring that both passes of the elongate article 12 are clamped tightly.
[0157] In addition to the clearances shown in regions marked I and II, there may also be clearances between the corner 74 and the holding projection 68, and between the pivot projection 36 and the clamping member 22.
[0158] There is thus described a securing device 10 that comprises a single rotatable clamping member 22 mounted on a single rotatable carriage 16 that effects clamping and release of two passes of the elongate article 12. The securing device 10 allows the release of both passes of the elongate article 12 by a single twist of the rotatable carriage 16. Both passes of the elongate article 12 can be clamped and released by a single rotation of one component.
[0159] The embodiment described herein provides the advantages that it is lightweight product. The elongate article 12 can be formed of a plastics material, which allows it to be transparent/translucent. The product has aesthetic qualities, making it suitable in situations where the hangers need to be highly discreet. The securing device 10 allows for fast and easy installation, and is less expensive than prior art devices.
[0160] The clamping arrangement is suitable for gripping an elongate article 12 in the form of a monofilament.
[0161] Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the clamping surfaces 66 may be devoid of teeth. In another modification, the housing 50 may be devoid of the pivot projection 36.
[0162] A further modification is shown in
[0163] The features shown in
[0164] In the securing device 10 shown in
[0165] In the embodiment shown in
[0166] The elongate central aperture 178 provides the advantage that it allows the clamping member 22 to move relative to the pivot projection 36, and centralise itself relative to the internal region 26 of the housing 14.