SAFETY CONTACT STRIP

Abstract

A co-extruded safety contact strip includes at least one contact or switching chamber situated in a section or profile and containing contactor or switching strips. One end of the base of the section is pivotally connected to a first side part and the other end of the base can be form-lockingly locked onto a second side piece. A method for securing the safety contact strip is also provided.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A co-extruded safety contact strip, comprising: a section, said section including a base having two ends, and said section including first and second side parts; one of said ends of said base being pivotably connected to said first side part, and another of said ends of said base being configured to be form-lockingly engaged to said second side part; and at least one contact chamber disposed inside said section, said at least one contact chamber having contactor strips.

13. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein said base is at least partially composed, between said two ends, of a harder plastic than a remainder of said section.

14. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein said base has an underside and a mounting foot formed on said underside.

15. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein said base has a planar supporting face formed on an outside of said section.

16. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein said base has at least one groove disposed within said section and running in a longitudinal extent of said section.

17. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, which further comprises latching projections and latching recesses providing said form-lockingly engagement.

18. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, which further comprises a hinged pivoting area formed by a notch in said first side part.

19. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, which further comprises ducts running in a longitudinal extent of said section.

20. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein said base is at least partially composed, between said two ends, of a harder plastic than a remainder of said section, and said remainder of said section is formed of a soft plastic having a hardness of up to 70 Shore A.

21. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein said base is at least partially composed, between said two ends, of a harder plastic than a remainder of said section, and said harder plastic has a hardness of up to 45 Shore D.

22. The safety contact strip according to claim 12, wherein: said base is at least partially composed, between said two ends, of a harder plastic than a remainder of said section; said remainder of said section is formed of a soft plastic having a hardness of up to 70 Shore A; and said harder plastic has a hardness of up to 45 Shore D.

23. A method for securing a safety contact strip, the method comprising: providing the safety contact strip according to claim 12; fitting the base, in an open condition, on a closing edge; bonding, screwing or pinning the open base to the closing edge; and closing the safety contact strip by pivoting the section.

Description

[0016] The essence of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which cross sections are represented in an exemplary fashion and are not true to scale. In the drawing:

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a safety contact strip, and

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a safety contact strip.

[0019] The safety contact strip 1 represented in FIG. 1 has two side parts 3, 4 which are connected to a base 2 and are closed on the upper side by an arc 5. Within the section 6 which is formed in this way, a contact chamber 7 is secured to webs 8-10 here, by way of example free from the inner walls of the section 6. In this context, the arcuate web 10 has approximately the same material thickness as the side parts 3, 4, while the arc 5 and the webs 8, 9 have a material thickness which is significantly reduced in comparison. In the contact chamber 7, two electrically conductive contactor strips 11, 12, each with an embedded metallic conductor 13, 14, are embodied in a conventional fashion from a non-conductive plastic by means of a co-extrudate.

[0020] The base 2 is pivotably connected to the side part 3, indicated by dot-dash lines and by the arrow 16. Stress in the corner region of the side part 3 and of the base 2 caused by the pivoting does not affect the functioning of the contact chamber 7 here, since a switching function is triggered by loading the comparatively thin arc 5 via the webs 8, 9.

[0021] Since, in this exemplary embodiment, the underside of the base 2 is smooth and configured in a planar fashion, this forms a supporting face 17 which can be fitted directly onto a closing edge without the need for a retaining strip.

[0022] In particular, in this context, the idea is to tightly screw the safety contact strip 1 to the closing edge. This is done in a simple way with the base 2 opened, in that the tips of screws are fitted here in a groove 18 with a V-shaped cross section. Since the interior 19 of the safety contact strip 1 is then accessible during mounting, cables, light strips such as LED rows or the like can be laid with less difficulty.

[0023] This may, under certain circumstances, also be done in ducts 20 which extend in the longitudinal direction of the section 6.

[0024] If such preliminary work is concluded, the rest of the section can be pivoted against the secured base 2 and the safety contact strip 1 can be closed. The free end 23 of the base 2 then form-lockingly engages with the second side part 4. For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment, two latching projections 21, 22 are provided, which lock in corresponding latching recesses in the second side part 4.

[0025] In order, on the one hand, to permit secure screwing to a closing edge and in order, on the other hand, to brace the side parts in a spaced-apart fashion, a section 25 of the base 2 is co-extruded, between its free end 23 and the opposite end 24 with the pivoting area, from a harder plastic than the plastic of the rest of the section 6.

[0026] The pivoting area of the base 2 opposite the first side part 3 is, however, formed in the exemplary embodiment by means of a soft plastic which facilitates the formation of this pivoting area. In addition, a notch 26 defines this pivoting area.

[0027] The exemplary embodiment of the safety contact strip according to FIG. 2 differs from the above only in respect of the embodiment of the base 31 with a mounting foot 32 which is pressed or pushed into a retaining section in a conventional fashion.

[0028] Alternatively, a mounting foot can also be embodied in the manner of a clamp and grasp a retaining section and lock said mounting foot to the latter.