HANGER FOR MOUNTING MULTIPLE CABLES

Abstract

A cable hanger for mounting cables to a mounting structure includes: a base panel; a pair of arms attached to opposite ends of the base panel; and a pair of locking projections, each locking projection being attached adjacent a free end of a respective arm. Each arm is configured to define a respective internal cavity configured to grasp cable. The arms and the base panel combine to define an external cavity for grasping cable. The cable hanger can be deflected from a relaxed state to a deflected state by forcing the locking projections toward each other. In the deflected state the cable hanger may be mounted to a mounting structure, with the arms inserted through a hole in the mounting structure and exerting outward pressure on edges of the hole, and the locking projections maintaining the cable hanger in a mounted position on the mounting structure.

Claims

1. A cable hanger for mounting cables to a mounting structure, comprising: a base panel; a pair of arms attached to opposite ends of the base panel; and a pair of locking projections, each locking projection being attached adjacent a free end of a respective arm and configured to maintain the cable hanger in a mounted position on a mounting structure; wherein the arms and the base panel define at least one internal cavity and at least one external cavity configured to grasp cables.

2. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein the arms and the base panel define two internal cavities.

3. The cable hanger defined in claim 2, wherein the external cavity is positioned between the internal cavities.

4. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein the arms include barbs that assist in grasping cables.

5. The cable hanger defined in claim 4, wherein the barbs are positioned to assist in grasping cables in the at least one external cavity.

6. The cable hanger defined in claim 4, wherein the barbs are positioned to assist with grasping cables in the at least one internal cavity.

7. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, further comprising cantilevered gripping tabs extending from the arms.

8. The cable hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the cantilevered gripping tabs extend into the at least one external cavity.

9. The cable hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the cantilevered gripping tabs extend into the at least one internal cavity.

10. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, in combination with a first cable mounted in the at least one external cavity and a second cable mounted in one of the at least one internal cavity.

11. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein each of the arms includes an inboard segment that defines a portion of the external cavity.

12. The cable hanger defined in claim 11, wherein a hole is present in each inboard segment, the hole configured to receive a locking projection from another cable hanger.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art cable hanger.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a top view of the prior art cable hanger of FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another prior art cable hanger.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a top view of the cable hanger of FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a top view of a cable hanger capable of mounting multiple cables according to embodiments of the invention.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a top view of two cable hangers of FIG. 5 deployed in a stacked configuration.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a top view of a cable hanger capable of mounting multiple cables according to alternative embodiments of the invention.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a top view of another cable hanger capable of mounting multiple cables according to alternative embodiments of the invention.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a top view of two cable hangers of FIG. 8 deployed in a stacked configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments that are pictured and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any way and/or combination to provide many additional embodiments.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms that are used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the below description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in this disclosure, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when an element (e.g., a device, circuit, etc.) is referred to as being “attached”, “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly attached”, “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[0026] Referring now to the drawings, a cable hanger 110 according to embodiments of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. The cable hanger 110 has a base panel 106 with two aims 105 extending from opposite ends thereof Each of the arms 105 is a mirror image of the other arm 105 and includes a plurality of segments. An inboard segment 121 extends rearwardly and generally perpendicularly from the edge of the base panel 106. A rear segment 122 extends laterally and generally perpendicularly from the rear end of each inboard segment 121. An outboard segment 123 extends forwardly and generally perpendicularly from the outer end of each rear segment 122. A forward segment 124 extends inwardly and generally perpendicularly from the forward end of each outboard segment 123. Finally, a lock segment 125 extends generally perpendicularly and forwardly from the inner end of each forward segment 124. Locking projections 107 are located on the lock segments 125. (As used herein, the “forward” or “front” direction is the direction extending from the base panel 106 toward the locking segments 125. The “rear” direction is the opposite of the front direction. “Lateral” and “outboard” refer to the direction normal to the front and rear directions that extends away from the center of the cable hanger 110 toward the outboard segments 123, and “inboard” refers to the opposite of the outboard direction).

[0027] This configuration creates cavities in which cables can be mounted. More specifically, the inboard, rear and outboard segments 121, 122, 123 create internal lateral cavities 140, and the base panel 106 and the inboard segments 121 create an external central cavity 142 (as used herein, a cavity is “internal” when it is located within the periphery of the cable hanger 110, and is “external” when it is located outside the periphery of the cable hanger 110).

[0028] The cable hanger 110 may include a number of cable gripping features, such as barbs, lances, nubs, teeth, and the like. The cable hanger 110 shown in FIG. 5 includes barbs 131 that extend from the inboard segments 121 into both the lateral and central cavities 140, 142. Also, lances 132 extend from the base panel 106 into the central cavity 142 and from the rear segments 122 into the lateral cavities 140.

[0029] As is also shown in FIG. 5, cables 150 can be mounted within the lateral and central cavities 140, 142. It can be seen that a single cable hanger 110 can hold up to three cables 150 at once, which can reduce the number of cable hangers 110 required to mount multiple cables. The barbs 131 and the lances 132 can assist in grasping cables 150 mounted in the cavities 140, 142. As with the cable hangers 10, 610 discussed above, the cable hanger 110 can be mounted to a mounting structure via the locking projections 107 being deflected toward each other from a relaxed state and being inserted into a hole (typically ¾ inch) in a mounting structure in the deflected condition. The arms 105 exert outward pressure on edges of the hole, and the locking projections 107 maintain the cable hanger 110 in a mounted position on the mounting structure.

[0030] Those skilled in this art will appreciate that, although the cavities 140, 142 are shown as being similar, if not identical, in size, in other embodiments the cable hanger 110 may be configured such that the lateral and central cavities 140, 142 are of different sizes, or even such that each of the lateral cavities 140 is of a different size. In addition, in some embodiments additional segments may be included in the aims 105 in a “square wave” pattern so that more cables (e.g., five or seven) may be mounted in a single cable hanger.

[0031] Further, the segments may be oriented somewhat different relative to each other. For example, the inboard segments 121 may be disposed at an oblique angle relative to the base panel 106 and the rearward segments 122. If the inboard segments 121 were angled such that their rearward ends (where they merge with the rear segments 122) were closer together than their forward ends (where they merge with the base panel 106), the cavities 140, 142 created thereby would be trapezoidal in shape, with the open end of the trapezoid being relatively narrow, and thereby would be likely to capture cables more securely. If on the other hand, the inboard segments 121 were angled so that their rearward ends were farther apart than their forward ends, the resulting trapezoidal cavities would have their wider ends open, which may facilitate the entry of cables in the cavities. Other configurations are also possible, including those in which some or all of the segments of the arms 105 are arcuate or curvilinear rather than straight.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 6, two cable hangers 110, 110′ are shown mounted in a stacked relationship. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the locking projections 107′ of the cable hanger 110′ are inserted into holes (not shown) in the inboard segments 121 of the cable hanger 110. The cable hanger 110 is mounted in a mounting structure 170. In this manner, additional cables (three additional cables in this instance) can be mounted to the same mounting location on the mounting structure 170 with only a single additional cable hanger.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 7, another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at 210, is shown therein. The cable hanger 210 is similar to the cable hanger 110 in general configuration, with a base panel 206, arms 205 having the same five segments as discussed above, and locking projections 207. However, the cable hanger 210 also includes two cantilevered gripping tabs 212 that extend from the base panel 206 into the central cavity 242, and further includes two cantilevered gripping tabs 216, 218 that extend from, respectively, the inboard segment 221 and the outboard segment 223 of each lateral cavity 240. Barbs 231 also extend into the cavities 240, 242 from the base panel 206 and the rear segments 222. Thus, cables (not shown in FIG. 7) can be mounted within each cavity 240, 242 and held in place by the gripping tabs 212, 216, 218.

[0034] The gripping tabs 212, 216, 218 may take a variety of configurations. Some potential configurations are shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0281881 to Vaccaro and U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,836 to Korczak, supra. Other configurations are shown in co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/335,614, filed Oct. 27, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. More or fewer gripping tabs may be included in other embodiments.

[0035] Referring now to the drawings, a cable hanger 410 according to embodiments of the invention is shown in FIG. 8. The cable hanger 410 is generally cruciform in shape, with a head portion 420, two arm portions 430, and locking segments 408 on which locking projections 407 or other locking features are located. These are described in greater detail below.

[0036] The head portion 420 includes an end wall 421 and two side walls 422 that merge with the end wall 421, thereby defining a head cavity 424. Each of the arm portions 430 includes an end wall 431 and two side walls 432 that merge with the end wall 431, thereby defining respective arm cavities 434. As can be seen in FIG. 5, one of the side walls 432 of each of the arm portions 430 merges with one of the side walls 422 of the head portion 420. The other of the side walls 432 of each of the arm portions 430 merges with a respective locking segment 408.

[0037] It can also be seen in FIG. 5 that the head portion 420 includes a lance 425 that extends into the head cavity 424 from the end wall 421, and further includes barbs 426 that extend into the head cavity 424 from the side walls 422. Similarly, each of the arm portions 430 includes a lance 435 that extends into its arm cavity 434 from the end wall 431 and barbs 436 that extend into its arm cavity 434 from the side walls 432. The lances 425, 435 and barbs 426, 436 provide gripping features to the cavities 424, 434; other gripping features, such as teeth, nubs and the like, may also be employed.

[0038] FIG. 8 also illustrates that a gripping tab 412 extends from each of the side walls 422 of the head portion 420 at an oblique angle (typically about 45 degrees). A gripping tab 416 also extends at an oblique angle (typically about 45 degrees) from each of the side walls 432 of the arm portions 430 that merge with the side walls 422. Lances 417, 419 are positioned near the ends of respective gripping tabs 412, 416. Each pair of gripping tabs 412, 416 defines a cable mounting location 413 that is located external of the cable hanger 410. (As used herein, a cavity or mounting location is “internal” when it is located within the periphery of the cable hanger 410, and is “external” when it is located outside the periphery of the cable hanger 410).

[0039] As can be seen in FIG. 8, the head cavity 424 is sized to receive and grasp a cable 450, which is held in place by the barbs 426 and the lance 425. Each of the arm cavities 434 is also sized to receive and grasp a cable 452, which is held in place by the barbs 436 and the lance 435. Finally, each pair of gripping tabs 412, 416 can grasp a cable 454 as it is located in a respective cable mounting location 413. Thus, in the illustrated configuration, the cable hanger 410 can hold up to five separate cables.

[0040] As with the cable hangers 10, 110, 210, 610 discussed above, the cable hanger 410 can be mounted to a mounting structure via the locking projections 407 being deflected toward each other from a relaxed state and being inserted into a hole (typically ¾ inch) in a mounting structure in the deflected condition. The locking segments 408 exert outward pressure on edges of the hole, and the locking projections 407 maintain the cable hanger in a mounted position on the mounting structure.

[0041] Those skilled in this art will appreciate that, although the head and arm cavities 424, 434 are shown as being similar, if not identical, in size, in other embodiments the cable hanger 410 may be configured such that the head and arm cavities 424, 434 are of different sizes, or even such that each of the arm cavities 434 is of a different size. In addition, in some embodiments arm portions may be included in a “square wave” pattern so that more cables (e.g., five or seven) may be mounted in a single cable hanger.

[0042] Those skilled in this art will also appreciate that the head portion 421 and arm portions 431 may be configured differently. For example, configurations which some or all of the segments of the end and side walls are arcuate or curvilinear rather than straight may be suitable. In addition, the end and side walls may be disposed at oblique angles to one another rather than at generally right angles.

[0043] Like the gripping tabs 212, 216, 218 discussed above, the gripping tabs 412, 416 may take a variety of configurations. Some potential configurations for gripping members are shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0281881 to Vaccaro and U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,836 to Korczak, supra. Other configurations are shown in co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/335,614, filed Oct. 27, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. More or fewer gripping tabs may be included in other embodiments.

[0044] Referring now to FIG. 9, two cable hangers 410, 410′ are shown mounted in a stacked relationship. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the locking projections 407′ of the cable hanger 410′ are inserted into holes (not shown) in the end wall 421 of the head portion 420 of the cable hanger 410 and can be received in slots or holes (not shown) in the side walls 422 of the head section inboard segments 421 of the cable hanger 410. The cable hanger 410 is mounted in a mounting structure 470. In this manner, additional cables (five additional cables in this instance) can be mounted to the same mounting location on the mounting structure 470 with only a single additional cable hanger 410′.

[0045] The cable hangers 110, 210, 410 may be formed of a variety of materials, such as steel and other metals. The cable hangers 110, 210 may be stamped from a sheet or strip of material, such as steel, and bent by known methods into the configurations shown herein. As such, the cable hangers 110, 210, 410 may be monolithic component, such as formed strips of steel or other easily-bent materials.

[0046] The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.