Marking device

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a marking device intended for marking elongated objects such as electric wires, cables, tubes or the like, in accordance with the preamble of the main claim.

Such a marking device is used for e.g. marking electric wires in coupling boxes, whereas a combination of symbols, usually numerals and characters, are assembled to enable the identification of each specific wire.

A device of the above mentioned art is known from SE-A-458001, in which a marking device is disclosed said marking device including a supporting part which, by means of a cable tie, can be fixed onto a wire or the like, a holder in the form of an elongated part and marking elements, which elements support a symbol marking on one side and which elements are intended to be threaded onto the holder and fixed into position.

Another known device is shown and described in CH-A-364539. This known marking device comprises a fastening component in the form of a clamp which is brought over the wire, or the like, which is to be marked, after which a bracket holder for the marking element is locked onto the fastening component by means of a spring locking function, whereby the fastening component is fixed into position on the wire.

Yet another known marking device is shown and described in EP-B-0035460. This device comprises a fastening component made in one piece with a bracket holder for the marking element, whereby the distal end of the holder averted from the fastening component, is provided with a spring hook to keep the marking elements on said holder.

These known devices for marking of elongated objects, such as electric wires or the like, have the disadvantage of requiring one marking element for each symbol marking. This leads to high production and handling costs and also causes the inconven¬ ience that the user must be provided with a large supply of marking elements covering all the symbols needed in order to supply the combinations required.

The purpose with the present invention is to achieve a marking device of the type mentioned above, which leads to a considerable reduction of production and handling costs.

A further aim of the invention is to achieve a marking device which is of a simple construction and has a simple function and which moreover is very simple to fit on an object such as wires, tubes, couplings or any other objects to be marked.

The purposes of the invention are achieved by a marking device having the characteristics of the patent claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been given the characteristics of the subclaimes.

Through this marking device, in accordance with the invention, the number of marking elements are particularly reduced. This leads to the user requiring considerably fewer parts in stock and the replacement of the symbols will be easier to account for.

The invention is described in closer detail below, references given to the enclosed drawings showing the preferred embodiments.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the marking device in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a marking element in the marking device in accordance with fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a supporting part in the marking device in accordance with fig. 1 having a holder attachment for the marking element.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a further development of the embodiment of the marking device as shown in fig. 1 in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a supporting part of the marking device in accordance with fig. 4, on the one hand having a holder attachment for the marking device, on the other hand having covering parts for screening the sides of the marking element.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of the marking device in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 7 shows a side elevation of a supporting part of the marking device in accordance with fig. 6.

Figs. 1-3 show a first embodiment of a marking device 101 , in accordance with the invention, intended for marking of electric wires 102. The marking device 101 may also be used for marking other objects, such as hydraulic or pneumatic tubes, conduits and terminal blocks etc. The marking device is provided with a supporting part 103 and five marking elements 104 in contact with the supporting part, each one of the elements provided with a through hole or opening 105 (see fig. 3) and surfaces 106 having symbol markings 107. A hole 108 is made through the supporting part 103 for fixing of the marking device 101 onto wire 102. A cable tie, comprising a tie with flutes 109 and a main part 110 having a snap functioning locking hole 109, is threaded through the hole 108 in the supporting part 103 and around the wire 102. A holder 111, formed as a tie on a cable tie, is made in one piece with said attachment means. The marking elements can thus be threaded onto said tie and locked thereon by means of a stopping part 112. This stopping part, which is intended to hold said marking elements on the holder, is formed as the main part of a cable tie and is threaded onto the holder formed as the tie on a cable tie and affixed, when the marking elements have been fitted. The stopping part may be replaced by forming the through hole 105 in each marking element in the same manner as the hole on the main part of a cable tie in order to fix the desired elements in the correct position onto the fluted tie 111 by means of snapping. The length of the bracket holder or tie, which forms the holder, may naturally be varied depending on the highest number of marking elements which is to be used in the marking. When the marking device has been fixed onto the wire to be marked, the protruding ends of the attachment means 108 and the holder 111 may be cut off with a pair of pliers or the like.

An arrow 113 may be marked, for example printed, on the supporting part 103 to show which symbol combination is intended on the marking element 104.

As may be seen in fig. 2, the supporting part 103 is provided with a through hole 108, where for example the tie on a cable tie, can be passed through in order to fix it onto the object. If the marking device, in accordance with the present invention, should be fixed onto some other object, for example a terminal block as in fig.1-3, a flange 114 may be attached to the supporting part, which is provided with a hole 115 for attachment to the object to be marked, by means of a screw, rivet or other similar means of attachment. Another alternative means of attaching the supporting part is to provide the bottom side of the supporting part with a self adhesive layer having a tear-off protective plastic. By designing the supporting part as above it is possible for the user himself to choose in which way he wishes to attach the supporting part onto the object

In fig. 3 is shown that the hole 105 in the marking element 104 has a cross section in the form of a cross, thereby allowing the tie shaped part 111 of the holder to be fixed in four different positions in relation to the periphery of the marking element. Thus the four lateral surfaces of the marking element, having six lateral surfaces, may be placed in four different positions, so that any one of the lateral surfaces provided with marking symbols may be chosen to lie in the plane, which is intended for registering of the chosen symbol combination. The registering usually takes place in a plane averted from the actual object. However, said plane may be varied within the scope of the claims, so that any plane may be chosen for the registering. However, it is important that the chosen plane is marked correctly or that the non-chosen planes are properly screened off. This is described below. When the plane points upwards, the marking may be done, as shown in fig. 1-3, with an arrow 113 marked on the upper surface of the supporting part 103 and/or on the stopping part.

In figs. 4 and 5 a further development 201 of the embodiment in accordance with fig. 1 is shown, in which a supporting part 203, fixed onto a wire 202, supports a marking element 204 on a holder 205, which holder in its longitudinal direction is provided with plane covering parts 206 and 207, which are in the shape of protruding parallel flanges and which, when mounted, cover the symbol markings on the lateral surfaces of the marking element, whereby only the symbol markings 208 on the lateral surfaces 209 of the marking elements 204 are visible, so that no misunderstanding of which intended symbol combination that is to be used, will arise. In this embodiment the marking elements

are held in position by a stopping part 210. Furthermore the supporting part is supplied with a through hole 211, through which a cable tie 212 is threaded in order to fix the marking device onto the wire. A flange 213 having a through hole 214 is arranged for keeping the device in position by means of a screw, a rivet or a similar means of attachment. An arrow 215 may be marked on the supporting part.

Each lateral surface 209 of the marking element 204, which is provided with symbol markings 208 may also be formed as to include a locking device, not shown, such that the covering parts 206, 207 may be pressed onto the lateral surfaces of the marking elements, which are fixed to the holder 205 and which are to be covered. These locking devices may consist of, on both covering parts and marking elements arranged interacting snap locking arrangements or, for example, or may on one part only be formed as a socket, which accepts and grips the other part. This arrangement of covering parts and marking elements is above all for aesthetical reasons, but it is for practical reasons, as the covering parts might otherwise stick out and thus lose part of their function.

In figs. 6 and 7 is shown still another embodiment of a marking device 401, in accordance with the invention, in which embodiment a supporting part 402, which is to be fixed to a wire, not shown, or the like, is formed as the main part of a cable tie and apart from the first hole 404 for the locking of a first tie 405, which is formed in one piece with the supporting part and shaped as a tie on a cable tie, there is a second hole 406 arranged to accept a loose holder in the form of a second tie 407 formed as the tie on a cable tie. During assemblage the intended marking elements 408 are first threaded onto the loose second tie 407, which thereafter is threaded through the other hole 406 and locked therein, whereafter the entire marking device is locked onto the wire by means of the first tie 405 arranged on the supporting part 402. It is also possible to carry out these steps in reverse order by first attaching the supporting part 402 onto the wire by means of the first tie 405, and thereafter attaching the other tie 407, with the previously assembled marking elements 408, onto the supporting part 402. In this case it is advisable that the through hole on the marking elements has a snapping device interacting with the other tie 407 for locking the marking elements directly onto the tie. A stopping part 410 on one end of the other tie 407 should be supplied with an arrow 411 or another form of marking to show which row of symbol markings 412 is referred to on the lateral surfaces 413. An arrow 414

may also be marked on the supporting part. For this purpose the supporting part or the stopping part may be supplied with covering parts to screen off the symbol markings, which are not intended to be seen.

It must be pointed out that, as mentioned above, the through holes of the marking elements may be supplied with means for locking each element separately onto the holder. This however results in that one must be very careful when threading the marking elements to be used in the intended combination onto the holder, as a marking element already threaded on is fixed-in position and cannot be removed.

Although the marking device according to the invention has been described with reference to the above shown embodiments in the description and on the enclosed drawings, it is of course possible to modify the invention within the scope of the enclosed claims.