CONDUIT FORMING MEANS

THIS INVENTION relates to conduit forming means.

Any reference herein to a conduit must be interpreted as a reference to a conduit for accommodating cabling, e.g. electrical cabling, optical cabling, and the like.

Reference will be made herein also to a 90° inner corner defined by a first and a second surface. Such a corner is a corner in which a conduit can be installed and the surfaces defining the corner may, for example, be defined by two walls, a wall and a floor, a skirting and a floor, or a wall and a ceiling.

According to the invention there is provided conduit forming means including an at least substantially planar extruded first wall and an extruded second wall, each wall defining opposite first and second longitudinal edges, configured to provide an operative configuration thereof with respect to a 90° inner corner defined by a first and a second surface, in which configuration

the walls are joined along their first edges;

the first wall is secured against the first surface with its second edge intermediate its first edge and the second surface;

the second wall is in a first position relative to the first wall, in which its second edge is spaced apart from the first surface and disposed against the second surface and in which a cable passage for accommodating cabling is defined between the second wall and the second surface; and

the second wall is displaceable into a second position relative to the first wall, in which its second edge is away from the second surface to provide access to the passage.

In the said operative configuration of a conduit forming means of the invention with respect to a first and a second surface defining a corner, it thus defines a conduit with the second wall effectively defining a cover for the passage defined between it and the second surface. By displacing the second wall into its second position, the "cover" is opened and the passage is exposed. This provides for cabling to be inserted into or removed from the conduit.

The conduit forming means may define a hinge joint between the first edges of its walls providing for pivotal displacement of the second wall with respect to the first wall between its first and second positions and may include also locking means for releasably locking the second wall to the first wall in the first position. The locking means may include complementary locking formations, projecting from the respective walls, which are configured to releasably interengage upon the first wall being displaced from its second position into its first position. In this case, the locking formations may, in the operative configuration of the conduit forming means, divide the cable passage into two parallel passages.

Alternatively, the second wall may be resiliently flexible and joined to the first wall along a joint fixing the first edges of the walls against relative rotation about a longitudinal axis, the first wall in the operative configuration being urged by its own resilience into its first position and being flexingly displaceable into its second position.

The conduit forming means may be configured so that, with the first wall placed flush against a first plane, a gap is defined between the second edge of this wall and a second plane longitudinal with respect to the walls, perpendicular to the first plane, and touching the second edge of the second wall.

In the conduit forming means, the first wall may define therethrough a series of holes along its length providing for it to be secured to a surface via suitable fasteners, e.g. nails or screws, received through the holes. Alternatively or additionally, the first wall of the conduit forming means may define an at least substantially flat outer surface providing for it to be adhered to a surface via suitable adhesive means.

The conduit forming means may be made of a resiliently flexible material and the first and the second walls may particularly be extruded as a one-piece extrusion. Moreover, the conduit forming means may be extruded as a part of an extrusion including another part which, in cross-section, mirrors the former part, the two parts having their first walls aligned, the second edges of these walls joined to each other, and being separable for separating the two parts.

Alternatively, the conduit forming means may include two separate extrusions, one including the first wall and the other the second wall, the extrusions defining complementary engagement formations for interengaging them.

The exact configuration of the conduit forming means of the invention is highly variable and, as such, the invention extends to any shape and configuration conduit forming means including the essential features of conduit forming means, as defined herein.

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The Applicant envisages that the conduit forming means of the invention may provide a practical, economical, aesthetically acceptable, and easy to install conduit. It may be used along with suitable junction and terminal boxes, e.g. boxes for accommodating plugs, switches, and the like. Such boxes may be conventional or specially developed for use with the conduit defined by the conduit forming means of the invention.

Several non-limiting examples of embodiments of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention, will now be described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of an embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates diagrammatically a first mode of installing the conduit forming means of Figure 1 in a 90° inner corner defined by a first and a second surface;

Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically a second mode of installing the conduit forming means of Figure 1 in a 90° inner corner defined by a first and a second surface;

Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates diagrammatically a mode of installing the conduit forming means of Figure 4 in a 90° inner corner defined by a first and a second surface;

Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention, including two parts, each being conduit forming means as shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of the conduit forming means of Figure 6, in a closed configuration thereof;

Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention.

In Figure 1 , an embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention, in the form of an extrusion, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The extrusion 10 is particularly a one-piece resiliently flexible synthetic plastic extrusion and includes a substantially planar first wall 12, defining opposite first and second edges 14 and 16, respectively, and a second wall 18 defining first and second edges 20 and 22, respectively. The walls 12 and 18 are disposed at an acute angle relative to each other and are joined along their first edges 14 and 20, the joint defined here fixing these edges against relative rotation about a longitudinal axis. Each of the walls 12 and 18 defines along its second edge a projecting lip 24 serving as a stiffener. The first wall 12 defines therethrough a longitudinal series of spaced apart holes 25 for receiving fasteners, e.g. nails or screws.

The first wall 12 defines a planar surface 26 in a first plane 27. The configuration of the extrusion 10 is such that a gap 30 is defined between the second edge 16 of the first wall 12 and a second plane 28, disposed longitudinally with respect to the extrusion 10, perpendicularly to the plane 27, and against the second edge 22 of the second wall 18.

Figure 2 illustrates a first mode of securing the extrusion 10 of Figure 1 in a 90° inner corner defined by a first surface 32 and a second surface 34. These surfaces are defined by a floor and a skirting, respectively.

In Figure 2A, the extrusion 10 has been positioned with its first wall 12 flat on the surface 32 and with a constant width longitudinal gap 36 defined between the surface 34 and the second edge 16 (see Figure 1 ) of the first wall 12. The gap 36 is approximately half the width of the gap 30 shown in Figure 1 . With the first wall 12 in this position, the second wall 18 has been displaced away from the first wall 12 by elastically deforming the extrusion 10 so as to provide a gap 38 for inserting a fastener in the form of a screw 40 and a screwdriver for screwing in the screw in via one of the holes 25 (see Figure 1 ) defined through the first wall 12. Such a screw will be screwed through each such hole defined through the first wall 12 and into the floor for securing the first wall 12 to the surface 32 defined by the floor.

In Figure 2B, the second wall 18 has been released and has been displaced under the resilience of the extrusion 10 into a first position thereof, as shown, in which the second edge 22 (see Figure 1 ) of the wall 18 is disposed against the surface 34. As the gap 36 is narrower than the gap 30 shown in Figure 1 , the edge 22 is urged against the surface 34 under the resilience of the extrusion 10. The operative configuration of the extrusion 10 with respect to the surfaces 32 and 34 is thus defined. In this configuration, a peripherally enclosed cable passage 42 is defined between the second wall 18 and the surface 34 and the second wall 18 is in a first position relative to the first wall 12.

In Figure 2C, the extrusion 10 is shown with its second wall 18 having been manually displaced into a second position thereof relative to its first wall 12. It has particularly been flexingly displaced into this position against its own resilience so that a gap 44 is defined between its second edge 22 (see Figure 1 ) and the surface 34. A cable 46 is being inserted through the gap 44 via a special tool 48.

Figure 2D shows the second wall 18 back in its first position with five cables, including the cable 46, received in the cable passage 42.

In Figure 3, an extrusion identical to the extrusion 10 of Figure 1 is designated by the reference numeral 50. Some corresponding features are again designated by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features will not be repeated here.

The extrusion 50 has adhesive means in the form of a double sided tape 52 secured to substantially its entire surface 26. A pull-off film layer 54 now may be pulled off from the double sided tape 52 to provide for it to be secured to the surface 32 to provide an operative configuration of the extrusion 50 with respect to the surfaces 32 and 34 similar to the operative configuration of the extrusion 10 shown in Figure 2B.

In Figure 4, a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention, in the form of an extrusion, is designated generally by the reference numeral 56. The extrusion 56 is particularly a one-piece resiliently flexible synthetic plastic extrusion and includes many features corresponding to features of the extrusion 10 of Figure 1. Some corresponding features are thus designated again by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features will not be repeated here. These features will be referred to hereinafter in relation to the extrusion 56 as if already described also in relation to this extrusion.

The extrusion 56 is shown in an inoperative configuration thereof. The first edges 14 and 20 of the first and second walls 12 and 18, respectively, are interconnected via a flexible thin wall formation 58 defining a flexible joint providing for pivotal displacement of the second wall 18 with respect to the first wall 12 between a variable second position, including the one shown here, with respect to the first wall 12, and a variable first position, including the one shown in Figure 5C.

The second wall 18 has a locking formation in the form of a wall 60 projecting therefrom approximately at its centre and from one side thereof. The wall 60 is curved and defines serrations 62 along opposite sides thereof. The first wall 12 defines a complementary

locking formation including two curved walls 64 that define between them a gap 66 for receiving a part of the wall 60. The walls 64 define on their sides facing each other opposing serrations 68 for releasably engaging the serrations 62 whilst the wall 60 is partially received within the gap 66. The serrations 62 and 68 provide for the second wall 18 to be locked to the first wall 12 in any first position within a particular angular range in which the walls are disposed at an acute angle with respect to each other.

In Figure 5A, the extrusion 56 is shown being installed in a corner defined by two surfaces corresponding to the surfaces 32 and 34 in Figure 5, designated for convenience again by the same reference numerals. The first wall 12 has been placed flat on the surface 32 with its second edge 16 against the surface 34. The second wall 18 is in a second position relative to the first wall 12, in which the wall 60 is removed from the walls 64. Via a series of fasteners in the form of screws 70 (only one shown here), the first wall 12 is secured to the floor defining the surface 32.

In Figure 5B, two cables 72 have been laid on the first wall 12 on the side of the walls 64 remote from the surface 34 and a single cable 74 has been laid on its other side.

In Figure 5C, the extrusion 56 is shown with its second wall 18 having been manually displaced into the position shown, which is the first position of this wall relative to the first wall 12. Such displacement caused the serrations 62 and 68 (see Figure 4) to releasably interengage, thus releasably locking the wall 18 in this position. The extrusion 56 is in its operative configuration. The edge 22 (see Figure 4) of the second wall 18 abuts against the surface 34. Two parallel cable passages 76 and 78 are now defined between the second wall 18 and the surface 34, the cables 72 being received in the former passage and the cable 74 and another cable 74 in the latter passage. In order to access any of the cables 72 and 74, the second wall 18 is simply manually displaced into its second position shown in Figure 5B, causing the serrations 62 and the engagement lips 68 to disengage from each other.

In Figure 6, a further embodiment of conduit defining means, in accordance with the invention, in the form of a one-piece resiliently flexible synthetic plastic extrusion, is designated generally by the reference numeral 80. The extrusion 80 includes a first part 82 which is identical to the extrusion 56 of Figure 4 and a part 84 which mirrors the part 82. Features of the parts 82 and 84 corresponding to features of the extrusion 56 are thus again designated by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features is not repeated here. These features will be referred to hereinafter in relation to the extrusion 80 as if already described also in relation to this extrusion.

The second edges 16 of the respective walls 12 of the part 82 and 84 are interconnected via a wall 86 with the walls 12 being disposed coplanar. The wall 86 may be removed for separating the parts 82 and 84, yielding two extrusions identical to the extrusion 56. Alternatively, the extrusion 80 may be displaced into a configuration shown in Figure 7, in which the edges 22 of the walls 18 are in contact with each other. In this configuration, the extrusion 80 defines a conduit defining therein three peripherally enclosed cable passages 88. The conduit can be used in this configuration with its walls 12 adhered or secured otherwise to a surface.

Figure 8 shows a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention, designated generally by the reference numeral 90. The conduit forming means 90 includes many features corresponding to features of the conduit forming means 10 of Figure 1 . Some corresponding features are thus designated again by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features will not be repeated here. These features will be referred to hereinafter in relation to the conduit forming means 90 as if already described also in relation to this means.

The conduit forming means 90 comprises two extrusions, the first extrusion 92 including the first wall 12 and an engagement formation 94 along the first edge 14 of the first wall

12, defining a socket therein. The second extrusion 95 includes the second wall 18 and a clip-in engagement formation 96 complementary to the engagement formation 94. The

engagement formation 96, received in the socket of the engagement formation 94, locks the edges 14 and 20 to each against relative rotation about a longitudinal axis. The conduit forming means 90 may now be installed in a corner such as that defined by the two surfaces 32 and 34 shown in Figure 2. It may particularly be installed by first securing the extrusion 92, with the second extrusion 95 removed from it, to the one surface and then clipping in the extrusion 95 so that the second edge 22 of its second wall 18 abuts against the other surface.

Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of conduit forming means, in accordance with the invention, designated generally by the reference numeral 98. The conduit forming means 98 includes many features corresponding to features of the conduit forming means 10 of Figure 1 . Some corresponding features are thus designated again by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features will not be repeated here. These features will be referred to hereinafter in relation to the conduit forming means 98 as if already described also in relation to this means.

The conduit forming means 98 comprises two extrusions, the first extrusion 100 including the first wall 12 and an engagement formation in the form of two engagement lips 102 along opposite edges of the first wall. The second extrusion 103 includes the second wall 18 and an engagement formation in the form of an engagement wall 104 for clipping in between the lips 102. The conduit forming means 98 may now be installed in a corner such as that defined by the two surfaces 32 and 34 shown in Figure 2. It may particularly be installed by first securing the extrusion 100, with the second extrusion 103 removed from it, to the one surface and then clipping in the extrusion 103 so that the second edge 22 of its second wall 18 abuts against the other surface.

The above examples clearly illustrate that the exact configuration of the conduit forming means of the invention is highly variable. As such, the invention extends to any shape and configuration conduit forming means including the essential features of conduit forming means, as defined herein.