END FITTING FOR CORRUGATED CONDUIT

• US 3,711,632 A
• Filed: 12/02/1971
• Issued: 01/16/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul S. Ghirardi
• Original Assignee: Paul S. Ghirardi
• Inventors: Ghirardi, Paul S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Askin, Laramie E.
• Application Number:
  US05/204,121
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 174/4CC,71R,72A,74R,92,135,138R,138F,156 24/16PB,73PF,73PB,129R,255C 285/373,419,423,DIG.4
• US Class Current: 174/135
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/06 Joints for connecting lengths of protective tubing or channels, to each other or to casings, e.g. to distribution boxes; Ensuring electrical continuity in the joint
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/903 Corrugated

Abstract

In a preferred form, this disclosure relates to an end fitting for use for a flexible, plastic, axially slit, corrugated tube for housing a plurality of electrical leads. The end fitting includes a pair of sections of generally semicircular crosssectional shape which are integrally hinged by a hinge means along their adjacent side edges thereof and which are foldable about the hinge means to a closed position in which they surround the corrugated tube, and a releasable latching means for latching the sections together in their closed position. One end portion of each of the sections has arcuate, circumferentially and radially inwardly extending ribs which are adapted to be received between adjacent ones of the corrugations of the corrugated tube to lock the end fitting against relative movement axially of the tube, and the other end portions of the sections each have a radially inwardly extending member, the inwardly extending members defining a chordially extending barrier when the sections are in their closed positions so as to position the leads within the end fitting.

Claims

1. An end fitting for attachment to a flexible, axially slit, corrugated tube for housing a plurality of electrical leads comprising:

a pair of sections of generally semicircular, cross-sectional shape and which are integrally hinged by a hinge means along their adjacent side edges thereof, said sections being foldable about said hinge means from an open position in which said sections are disposed side by side toward a closed position in which said sections surround an end portion of said corrugated tube, a latching means for latching said sections together in their closed position, one end portion of at least one of said sections having an arcuate, circumferentially and radially inwardly extending rib which is adapted to be received between adjacent corrugations of the corrugated tube to substantially lock said end fitting against relative movement axially of said tube, the other end portion of at least one of said sections having a radially inwardly extending member which defines a chordially extending barrier when said sections are in their closed position, said leads being adapted to be positioned on the side of said chordially extending barrier opposite the side adjacent the axial slit whereby said barrier positions said leads so that they cannot move axially along the slit.

2. An end fitting for attachment to a flexible, axially slit, corrugated tube for housing a plurality of electrical leads comprising:

a pair of sections of generally semicircular cross-sectional shape and which are integrally hinged by a hinge means along adjacent side edges thereof, said sections being foldable about said hinge means from an open position in which they are disposed side by side toward a closed position in which said sections surround an end portion of said corrugated tube and define a generally cylindrical end fitting, a releasable latching means comprising a catch member on one of said sections and a latch member on the other of said sections which is snap fittingly received in said catch member when said sections are moved toward their closed position to latch said sections together, one end portion of each of said sections having an arcuate and circumferentially and radially inwardly extending rib which is adapted to be received between adjacent corrugations of the corrugated tube to substantially lock said end fitting against relative movement axially of said tube, said other end portions of said sections each having a radially inwardly extending rib, said ribs on said other end portions together defining a chordially extending barrier when said sections are in their closed position and with a side wall portion of the end fitting an opening through which the leads are adapted to pass, said fitting being adapted to be attached to the tube so that said opening is located on the side opposite the side of the axial slit in the tube and said barrier serves to position it and locate leads so they pass through said opening.

3. An end fitting for attachment to a flexible, axially slit, corrugated tube for housing a plurality of electrical leads comprising:

a pair of sections of generally semicircular, cross-sectional shape and which are integrally hinged by a hinge means along adjacent side edges thereof, said sections being foldable about said hinge means from an open position in which said sections are disposed side by side toward a closed position in which said sections surround an end portion of said corrugated tube and define a generally cylindrical end fitting, a releasable latching means comprising a catch member on one of said sections and a latch member on the other of said sections which is snapped fittingly received in said catch member when said sections are moved toward their closed position to latch said sections together, one end portion of each of said sections having an arcuate and circumferentially and radially inwardly extending rib for being received between adjacent ones of the corrugations of the corrugated tube to substantially lock the end fitting against relative movement axially of said tube, the other end portion of one of said sections having a first radially inwardly extending rib and the other end portion of the other of said sections having a second radially inwardly extending rib, said first and second ribs having first sides which lie in a common plane when said sections are disposed side by side and said second rib having a second side which defines with said first side an obtuse included angle therebetween, said first rib and said second rib of said other end portions together defining a chordially extending barrier when the sections are moved to their closed position, said second rib having a triangularly shaped notch adjacent its first side for receiving one of the leads of said plurality of electrical leads in said corrugated tube, said second rib being for trapping one of the leads in said triangularly shaped groove and clamping it against the first side of said first rib when the sections are moved toward their closed position and said second side of said second rib being for causing the other of the leads to be cammed to the other side of the barrier so as to position the electrical leads in the end fitting and prevent the same from moving along the axial slit.