"CABLE GLAND DEVICE "

[0001] The present invention concerns a cable gland device suitable to lock a cable at an opening passing through a wall, for example a wall of a household appliance.

[0002] Cable glands are already known that are suitable to be anchored to the inside of a wall that must be penetrated by a cable, such as a cable carrying electrical wires. For example, such a wall is part of a household appliance or electrical apparatus.

[0003] Cable gland devices are fixed at an opening in the wall for the cable to pass through and are suitable to axially lock the cable so as to prevent it from sliding relative to the wall and, consequently, also wearing on its outer surface. Such wear, if prolonged, could lead, in the case of an electrical cable, to exposure or even breakage of the electrical conductors contained therein.

[0004] Some embodiments of the cable gland devices according to the prior art have a complicated construction, high production and assembly costs, and above all are difficult to install, especially if they must be positioned in places difficult for the installer to reach.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to propose a cable gland device of the type mentioned above which, although reliable and safe, has a simple structure and consists of a small number of components, and is thus economical to produce and assemble, and above all easy and quick to install.

[0006] Said object is achieved with a gland device according to claim 1. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0007] The features and advantages of the cable gland device according to the invention will become evident from the description hereinafter of their preferred embodiments, provided by way of indicative and non limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0008] - Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cable clamp of the cable gland according to the invention;

[0009] Figure la is an axial section of the cable clamp;

[0010] Figure lb is an enlarged view of the detail A circled in Figure la;

[0011] Figure lc is an enlarged view of the detail B circled in Figure la;

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view from the bottom of the cable clamp;

[0013] Figure 3 is a perspective view from the top of the anchor ring of the cable gland;

[0014] Figure 4 is a perspective view from the bottom of the anchor ring;

[0015] Figure 4a is an axial section of the anchor ring;

[0016] Figure 4b shows an enlarged detail of detail C circled in Figure 4a;

[0017] Figures 5 and 5a are perspective views of the assembled cable gland from above and below, in a configuration with the jaws fully open;

[0018] Figures 6 and 6a are perspective views of the assembled cable gland from above and below, in a configuration with the jaws fully closed;

[0019] Figures 7 and 7a show the cable gland device attached to the inside of a wall and in the locked configuration of a cable, viewed from the inside and outside of the wall, respectively;

[0020] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cable gland device before the installation thereof, in one embodiment; and

[0021] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cable clamp in a variant embodiment.

[0022] In the following, the terms "longitudinal" or "axial" indicate a direction parallel to the direction of extension of the cable when inserted into the cable gland, defined by the cable axis X; correspondingly, the term "transverse" indicates a direction Y perpendicular to the cable axis X. [0023] In said drawings, a cable gland device according to the invention is indicated collectively at 1.

[0024] In a general embodiment, the cable gland device 1 comprises a cable clamp 10 suitable to lock a cable 2 and an anchor ring 12 suitable to be placed around the cable clamp 10 to anchor it to the inside 3' of a wall 3, wherein is obtained a wall opening 4 for passing the cable 2 through such wall.

[0025] The cable clamp 10 comprises two wedge-shaped jaws 14 mutually movable one toward the other to lock a section of cable 2 between them. The two jaws are thus movable in the direction of travel Y orthogonal to the cable axis X.

[0026] Each of such wedge-shaped jaws 14 has a support base 16 suitable to abut with the inner side 3' of the wall.

[0027] Each jaw 14 has an inner face 18 facing a parallel inner face 18 of the other jaw and suitable to engage the cable 2 to lock it in position. For example, the inner faces 18 are substantially orthogonal to the support bases 16.

[0028] In addition, each jaw 14 is delimited on the side opposite the inner face by an inclined wall 20.

[0029] In other words, each inclined wall 20 extends substantially between the end of the support base 14 opposite the inner face 18, and the top of the inner face 18.

[0030] This inclined wall 20 is suitable to be engaged by a respective anchor portion 22 of the anchor ring 12.

[0031] Thus, due to the inclined wall 18, the anchor ring 12 always engages the jaws 14 regardless of their position in the cable clamping direction. In other words, cables of different diameters may be locked between the inner faces of the jaws 14, keeping the jaws 14 engaged by the anchor ring.

[0032] For example, in the case of cable 2 with a small diameter, the jaws 14, in the cable clamping position, have their inner faces 18 closer to each other than in the case of cable with a larger diameter. In the first case, represented in figures 6 and 6a, the anchor ring 12 will be found substantially at the level of the support base 16, and thus with its side substantially in contact with the inner side 3' of the wall 3.

[0033] In the second case, represented in figures 5 and 5a in the maximum open position of the jaws 14, the anchor ring 12 will be in a position at a distance from the support base 16 of the jaws, i.e. closer to the top of the same jaws.

[0034] In both cases, the anchor ring 12, once secured to the wall 3, engages axially the two jaws 14, keeping them in contact with the wall 3 by their support bases 16. At the same time, the anchor ring 12 engages the two jaws 16 transversely, i.e. in the direction of travel Y, so as to hold them in the cable clamping position.

[0035] Each jaw 14 is further equipped with a fixing appendage 24 wherein a slot 25 is obtained, extending in a plane parallel to the support base 16 and mainly in the direction of travel Y of the jaws 14.

[0036] In each anchor portion 22 of the anchor ring 12, in an overlapping relationship with a respective fixing appendage 24, an anchor hole 26 is obtained, suitable to be engaged by an anchor screw 28 that penetrates the wall 3 and the slot 25 of the fixing appendage 24.

[0037] Thus, the anchor ring 12 is fitted around and over the clamp 10, so that the anchor portions 22 with the respective holes 26 thereof superimpose, in the direction of the cable axis X, the fixing appendages 24. In particular, the anchor holes 26 must be aligned with a portion of the respective slots 25 of the fixing appendages 24.

[0038] In other words, in a wall-mounted configuration, the fixing appendages 24 are interposed between the inner side 3' of the wall 3 and the anchor portions 22 of the anchor ring 12.

[0039] According to one aspect of the invention, in each inclined wall 20 of the jaw 14, orthogonally to the axis of the cable, a plurality of grooves 30 is obtained, parallel and spaced therebetween (figure lb) . In the respective anchor portion 22 of the ring 12, a sliding plane 32 is obtained that interacts with a respective inclined wall 20. This sliding plane 32 is inclined complementarily to the inclined wall 20 of the jaw 14 and is equipped with a plurality of ribs 34 (Figure 4b) suitable to engage the parallel grooves 30 to achieve a reciprocal axial lock between the jaws 14 and the ring 12 in one (determined by the diameter of the cable) of a plurality of preset positions of the jaws in the direction of travel Y.

[0040] Therefore, advantageously, after the jaws have been brought closer to each other in order to lock the cable section between them, it is possible to release the jaws without the jaws retracting and releasing the cable. In other words, the interaction between the ribs of the ring and the grooves of the inclined walls of the jaws allows the same jaws to be locked in the clamping position before the final anchoring of the device to the wall. This simplifies the installation of the cable gland device considerably, as the installer does not have to hold the jaws pressed against the cable while screwing the cable gland device to the wall.

[0041] In one embodiment, in the inner face 18 of each jaw, an axial recess 36 is obtained suitable to form, when the two jaws 14 are in a cable clamping position, an axial seat for accommodating a section of the cable 2. For example, this axial recess 36 may have a semicircular or triangular shape or be formed by a larger number of adjacent flat walls.

[0042] According to one embodiment, in each of these axial recesses 36, a plurality of inner ribs 38 is obtained (Figure 4c), suitable to increase by friction the adhesion of the jaws to the outer surface of the cable 2.

[0043] Preferably, these inner ribs 38 extend orthogonally relative to the cable axis.

[0044] In one embodiment, on opposite sides of each jaw 14 a lateral guide rib 40 is obtained, extending with an inclination parallel to that of the respective inclined wall 20. Correspondingly, in the anchor ring 12, guide grooves 42 are obtained, which are suitable to be slidingly engaged with such lateral guide ribs 40.

[0045] In one embodiment, the lateral guide ribs 40 are obtained on the respective lateral walls 44 of the jaws, extending orthogonally to the support base 16 and to the inner face 18.

[0046] In one embodiment, the anchor ring 12 has a substantially rectangular shape. In this case, the guide grooves 42 are located at the end of opposite sides 46 of the anchor ring 12, parallel to the side walls 44 of the jaws 14.

[0047] In one embodiment, the cable gland clamp 10 is made in one piece of plastic material. For example, the tops of the two jaws 14 are connected to each other by one or more flexible connecting arms 48. In this way, the two jaws may be advantageously handled as a single piece. Note that when the jaws are in the maximum distance position, the connecting arms 48 are taut. When the two jaws are placed side by side, the two connecting arms are completely folded.

[0048] In one embodiment, the anchor ring 12 and the cable clamp 10 are also made of plastic material. For example, as shown in figure 8, the anchor ring 12 and the cable clamp 10 are connected together by a flexible connecting arm 50 so that the cable gland device 1 may be handled as a single piece.

[0049] Figure 9 shows a cable clamp 10 in an embodiment that differs from the embodiments described above in that from the base 16 of each jaw 14, a guide appendage 38 extends in continuation of the inner face 14, and in particular of the respective axial recess 36, if present, and that is suitable to form, when the two jaws 14 are in the cable clamping position, an extension of the axial seat accommodating the cable section 2. Such guide appendages 38 are dimensioned so as to pass through the wall opening 4 to protect the cable section from possible rubbing against the edges that delimit the wall opening

4.

[0050] To the embodiments of the cable gland device according to the invention, one skilled in the art, to satisfy contingent needs, may make modifications, adaptations and replacements of some elements with others that are functionally equivalent, without departing from the scope of the following claims. Each of the features described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be implemented independently from the other described embodiments .