FR3038689A1 - DEVICE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE CRADLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device comprising an element comprising a flexible cradle open in a direction Z adapted to receive an elongated element; the cradle is in a longitudinal section of the device in a ZY plane, in the form of an arc subtended by an average angle α in the center, characterized in that the cradle has at least one slot.

Description

DEVICE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE CRADLE

The present invention relates to a device comprising a flexible cradle for receiving an elongate element, in particular a tube or a cable. The invention also relates to a base comprising the device of the invention and the use of said base to fix an elongated tube on a support.

There are numerous devices for fixing elongated elements (tubes or cables for example) to a support (wall or ceiling for example). Most of these devices comprise a cradle in the form of a cavity into which a portion of the elongated element is inserted. According to some devices, the elongated element is inserted into the cradle directly by clipping. In other devices, the elongated tube is positioned in the cradle and the device further comprises a second device coming above the first to hold the elongated member.

However, current devices have standard sizes and are therefore adapted to a specific diameter of the elongated member to maintain. Thus, a typical device does not allow to maintain a tube which has a dimension slightly greater than that for which the device is intended.

In addition, depending on the use, the tubes are sometimes subjected to high stresses causing vibrations in the holding devices of these tubes may induce premature damage to the devices. Therefore, it would be interesting to have a device comprising at least one cradle for maintaining an elongated element while being able to adapt to elongate elements of different diameters and to absorb the vibrations induced during its use .

However, the inventors have demonstrated that a device comprising a flexible cradle comprising a slot made it possible to meet these requirements.

Thus, a first object of the invention is a device comprising an element comprising a flexible cradle open in a direction Z adapted to receive an elongated element, the cradle being in a longitudinal section of the device in a ZY plane, in the form an arc subtended by a middle angle to the middle, the cradle having at least one slot.

According to the invention, an orthonormal reference (XYZ) is used in which the longitudinal section of the device defines a plane (ZY) and a direction X is perpendicular to this plane.

In the present invention, the cradle has a particular structure which makes it possible in particular to optimally reduce the vibrations of the elongated element during its use and / or to absorb variations in the diameter of the elongated element by virtue of the presence of at least one slot.

By "diameter variations" is meant variations of the order of 10 to 20%.

By "slot" is meant a through opening over the entire thickness of the cradle, said slot being located in the plane (XY), preferably along the X direction in the orthonormal frame (XYZ).

The slot is preferably long and narrow.

Thus, according to one embodiment, the slot has a length of between 2 and 20 mm, preferably between 4 mm and 10 mm and / or a width of between 0.5 and 2.5 mm, preferably between 0.8 mm and 1.4 mm. . Those skilled in the art will be able to adapt the number, size and position of the slots according to the nature of the tubes and the field of application.

Thus, according to one embodiment, the number of slots in the cradle is between 1 and 20, preferably between 4 and 10.

The device of the invention may comprise at least two flexible cradles.

According to one embodiment, the device comprises from 2 to 20 flexible cradles, preferably from 4 to 8 flexible cradles.

According to one embodiment, the device further comprises a pedestal having a lower surface and an upper surface; and the element is integral with the upper surface of the base.

According to another embodiment, the device further comprises a pedestal having a lower surface and an upper surface; the element comprises a lower edge secured to the upper surface of the base and an upper edge secured to the cradle.

When the device comprises at least two cradles, said cradles may be interconnected at their free edges and / or may be interconnected by the base according to the geometry of the element.

According to one embodiment, the base is plane (in the XY plane).

According to a particular embodiment, the element comprises a flat surface comprising an upper edge secured to the cradle and a lower edge secured to the base, preferably substantially perpendicular to the free edge of the base.

According to the invention, the nature of the material constituting the cradle and / or the specific structure of the cradle gives the cradle flexibility.

Thus, according to one embodiment, the cradle is made of a material selected from the group consisting of filled or unfilled polyamide (PA), filled or unfilled polypropylene (PP) and polyacetal (POM).

According to a particular embodiment, the cradle is made of a material having a coefficient of elasticity between 1.2 and 4.5GPa. By way of example, it will be possible to use a polyamide having a coefficient of elasticity of 2.2GPa.

According to the invention, the elongated element may be a tube or a cable.

The cradle of the device has a dimension adapted to the diameter of the elongated member to maintain. According to one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the cavity defining the cradle is between 1.5 and 25mm, preferably between 2 and 15mm to maintain such a fuel pipe or air conditioning.

According to the invention, the longitudinal axis of the elongated element is coaxial with the cradle.

When the device comprises several cradles, at least one cradle has a radius of curvature different from the radius of curvature of another cradle.

According to the invention, the cradle is in the form of a circular arc subtended by a central angle to the center in longitudinal section of the device in a plane ZY.

According to one embodiment, the average angle at the center in longitudinal section of the device in a ZY plane is greater than 180 °, preferably greater than 200 ° and even more preferably greater than 220 °.

According to another embodiment, the central angle at the center in longitudinal section of the device in a ZY plane is less than 180 °, or less than 170 ° or even less than 160 °.

According to one embodiment, in longitudinal section of the device in a ZY plane, the cradle comprises an inlet having the shape of a circular arc subtended by an average angle α in the center and having a radius of curvature RI and an outlet orifice in the form of a circular arc subtended by an average center angle a2 and having a radius of curvature R2.

According to a particular embodiment, the inlet orifice has a radius of curvature R1 different from the radius of curvature R2 of the outlet orifice and / or a mean angle α at the center different from the angle a2 of the orifice. output to ensure a good maintenance of the elongate element in the cradle.

According to a particular embodiment, the cradle notably has slots starting at the inlet and / or outlet ports of said cradle in order to facilitate the insertion of the elongated element as far as possible and to allow the cradle to adapt. to variations in diameters of the elongated element.

According to a particular embodiment, the element comprises an angled folded tab along the Y axis defining an upper surface and a lower surface, and the upper surface of the folded tongue is bent to define the cradle intended to be at the contact of the elongate element in the use position.

According to a particular embodiment, the element comprises a flat surface having a lower edge and an upper edge, said upper edge being integral with the tongue as defined above. The tongue is preferably substantially perpendicular to the upper edge of the flat surface.

When the device of the invention comprises a base, the lower edge of the flat surface of the element is substantially perpendicular to the base, preferably to a transverse free edge of the base.

In order to maximize the retention of an elongated element in the cradle (s), the element furthermore comprises at least one integral elongation of the upper edge of the flat surface of the element, preferably two elongations of other of the cradle.

According to this embodiment, the device further comprises a holding arm secured to the end of the elongation, the holding arm being intended during use, to be supported on a portion of the elongated element which is not in contact with the cradle and therefore optimizes the maintenance of the elongated element.

According to one embodiment, the holding arm has at its end a protuberance having a substantially planar surface intended, in use, to come into contact with the part of the elongate tube which is not in contact with the cradle so as to to optimize the maintenance.

This embodiment is particularly suitable when the cradle is in the form of a circular arc subtended by a central angle to the middle less than 180 °.

Another object of the invention is an assembly comprising the device as defined above (called first device thereafter) and a second device having the same configuration as the first device but having a cradle in the plane (ZY) under the shape of an arc subtended by an average angle β at the center complementary to the angle a. from the cradle of the first device.

By "same configuration" in the sense of the invention means a second device comprising a cradle having a radius of curvature identical to the radius of curvature of the cradle of the first device.

It will be preferred that the first and second devices have the same number of cradles.

Thus, when the two devices are installed opposite each other, the free edges of the cradle (s) of the first device coincide with the free edges of the cradle (s) of the second device forming a device. circle in the plane (ZY) or a cylinder in the mark (XYZ).

The devices can be interconnected by a preferably flexible fastener and preferably located on one side of the assembly (in the plane (ZX)) thus making it possible to make a device movable relative to the other (for example by performing a rotation along the X axis) to insert an elongate element in a cradle. The assembly may also comprise in addition to the fastener a locking system, preferably located on the opposite side where the fastener is located to maintain attached the two devices of the assembly.

The device or the assembly of the invention can be made with various methods well known to those skilled in the art such as molding.

Another object of the invention is the use of the device or assembly as defined above in order to maintain an elongated element.

Once the elongated element is held in the cradle, the device or the assembly of the invention can be fixed to a support, such as a wall (wall or ceiling for example).

Thus another object of the invention is a base comprising the device or assembly such that; defined above and fixing means for fixing said base to a support. The base according to the invention can be supported in different ways: by screwing, by gluing, by welding or even by a pair of threads.

According to a particular embodiment,; the base comprises a through hole in ;; which a fastener will be inserted during the fixing of the base to the süpport.

Regarding, the structure of Ifembase; including the orifice, reference is made to patent application 1331552135.

Finally, another object of the invention is the use of the base as defined above in order to maintain an elongated element on a support.

Figure 1 shows a top view of the device of the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a cross-sectional view (in the ZY plane) of a part of the device according to one embodiment;

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view (in the ZY plane) of part of the device according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (in the ZY plane) of the device of the invention according to an embodiment;

Figure 5 shown; the device of the figure: é integrated in dre base.

Ea; figure 1; discloses a device 10 comprising; an element 2 having detM cradles f) extbies orvetts Z • direction Z having nn different radius of curvature. The cradles are connected to each other at their free edges.

The device 10 further comprises a base 1 having an upper surface 1a and a lower surface 1b. The element 2 consists of a flat part 2a having an upper edge 2al integral and substantially perpendicular to a flexible tongue 4 and a lower edge 2a2 integral and substantially perpendicular to a transverse free edge of the base 1.

The tongue 4 is folded edge to edge along the Y axis and is bent at its upper surface to define the cradle 4a intended to be in contact with an elongated element (not shown in Figure 1).

The tongue 4 has five slots 5 arranged in the X direction.

The cradles (defined by the curved upper surfaces of the tongues) 4a and 4b have a different mean radius of curvature with Ra> Rb.

In addition, each of the cradles 4a and 4b is defined by an inlet orifice Oe having a radius of curvature R14a (for the cradle 4a) or R14b (for the cradle 4b) and by an outlet orifice Os having a radius of curvature R24a (for cradle 4a) or R24b (for cradle 4b). According to this embodiment, the radius of curvature R14a is greater than the radius of curvature R24a and the radius of curvature R14b is greater than the radius of curvature R24b in order to facilitate the insertion of the elongated element and to maintain more efficiently a elongated element that would fit into the cradle.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of a part of the device of FIG. 1 in which the flat surface 2a of the element 2 further comprises two elongations 2b on each side of the cradle 4a, said elongations 2b being integral with the upper edge 2a of the element. The end of each elongation 2b comprises a holding arm 6. Each of its holding arms 6 comprises a substantially flat protuberance 7 intended to bear against an elongated element 8 inserted in the cradle as illustrated in FIG.

The cradle 4a is in the form of an arc subtended by an angle a. greater than 180 ° in the ZY plane.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the cradles 4a and 4b are in the form of an arc subtended by an identical angle but having a different radius of curvature (R4a> R4b).

The presence of slots (only visible in the ZY plane in FIG. 3) as well as the structure of the tongue 4 make it possible to give the cradle flexibility and thus make it suitable for holding tubes having slightly different diameters (12 to 13mm for the cradle 4a and 8 to 9mm for the cradle 4b)

FIG. 4 represents an assembly 20 comprising the device 10 of FIG. 1 and a second device 10 'having the same configuration as the first device but including cradles 4a' and 4b 'having an average angle β complementary to that of the cradles 4a and 4b of the first device 10.

Indeed, such a configuration allows the free edges of the cradle of the first device to coincide with the free edges of the cradle of the second device, when the two devices are arranged one facing the other. The assembly 20 comprises a flexible fastener 21 connecting the devices 10 and 10 '.

The device 10 'can thus be movable relative to the device 10 in order to insert the tubes 8 into the cradles 4a and 4b as illustrated in FIG. 5. The assembly 20 also comprises a locking device 22 making it possible to secure the devices 10 and io. FIG. 5 shows the assembly 2 comprising the two devices 10 and 10 'integrated in a base 30. This base comprises in particular an orifice 35 on the wall of which a metal ribbon 36 is joined. The through orifice 35 is intended to receive a fixing element in order to fix said base 30 to a support ηρη represented. Regarding the structure of the base comprising the orifice, reference is made to the patent application FR1552135.

The device of the invention comprising a flexible cradle as defined above and allows a good tightening of the tubes, can absorb dei; differences in the diameters of the tubes and also makes it possible to absorb the vibrations to which the tubea are subjected during their use.

Claims (15)

1-device (10) comprising an element (2) comprising an open flexible cradle (4a, 4b) in a direction Z adapted to receive an elongated element (8); the cradle (4a, 4b) being in longitudinal section of the device (10) in a plane ZY in the form of a circular arc subtended by a central angle a to the center, characterized in that the cradle ( 4a, 4b) has at least one slot (5). 2- Device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (10) comprises at least two flexible cradles (4a, 4b). 3- Device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: the device (10) further comprises a base (1) having a lower surface (1b) and an upper surface (1a); and the element (2) is integral with the upper surface (la) of the base. 4- Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cradle (4a, 4b) has an average radius of curvature of between 2 and 15mm. 5- Device (10) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that at least one cradle (4a, 4b) has a radius of curvature different from another cradle. 6. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: the cradle (4a, 4b) comprises an inlet orifice (Oe) having the shape of a circular arc subtended by an angle al center means in longitudinal section of the device in a ZY plane and an exit orifice (Os) having the shape of a circular arc subtended by an average central angle a2 in a longitudinal section of the device in a plane ZY, and the outlet orifice (Os) has a radius of curvature R2 and / or an average center angle a2 other than the radius of curvature R1 and / or the angle a1 of the inlet orifice (Oe). 7- Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central angle a means is less than 180 °. 8- Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the central angle a means is greater than 180 °. 9- Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slot (5) has a length of between 2 and 20mm and / or a width of between 0.5 and 2.5mm. 10- Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: the element comprises a tab (4) folded edges with edges along the Y axis defining an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface of the tongue is bent to define the cradle open along the Z axis intended to be in contact with the elongated element in the use position. 11- Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the element (2) further comprises at least one holding arm (6) for holding the portion of an elongate member not being in contact with the cradle. 12- assembly (20) comprising the device (10) as defined in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a second device (10 ') having the same configuration as the first device but with a cradle (4a ', 4b') in the form of an arc subtended by an average angle β at the center complementary to the angle a of the cradle of the first device. 13- Use of the device (10) as defined in any one of claims 1 to 11 or the assembly (20) defined in claim 12 to maintain an elongate member. A base (30) comprising: the device (10) as defined in any one of claims 1 to 11 or the assembly (20) defined in claim 12; and fixing means for fixing said base to a support. 15- Use of the base as defined in claim 14 for securing the device or assembly to a support.