End cap for closing trunking for routing electrical conductors or cables

• US 6,384,329 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Legrand France SA (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Legrand (Legrand SA), Legrand Snc (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Buard, Yvon
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Dhiru R
• Application Number:
  US09/790,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/49, 174/68.1, 174/68.3, 174/72.A, 174/72.R, 174/96, 174/97, 439/207, 522/203
• US Class Current: 174/480
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0418 Covers or lids; Their fastenings

Abstract

An end cap for closing one end of trunking, the end cap having a closure part for closing an interior space of the trunking and a fixing part for fixing it to a back of a base section of the trunking. The closure and fixing parts are connected together by a connecting part. The connecting part constitutes an elastic coupling which allows the closure part to move relative to the fixing part.

Claims

1. An end cap for closing one end of trunking, said end cap having a closure part for closing an interior space of said trunking and a fixing part for fixing it to a back of a base section of said trunking, said closure and fixing parts being connected together by a connecting part, wherein said connecting part constitutes an elastic coupling which allows said closure part to move relative to said fixing part.

2. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling allows slight movement of said closure part relative to said fixing part in translation in a longitudinal direction of said trunking.

3. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling forms a hinge allowing slight angular movement of said closure part relative to said fixing part.

4. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said fixing part, said closure part and said elastic coupling are molded in one piece from plastics material.

5. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure part includes a closure wall for closing the interior space of said trunking and a cover portion for covering a cut end of a closure cover section of said trunking and said closure wall and said cover portion are molded in one piece.

6. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling includes at least one corrugated tongue which has one end connected to said fixing part and the other end connected to said closure part.

7. The end cap claimed in claim 6 wherein said corrugated tongue has corrugations on opposite sides of a longitudinal vertical plane.

8. The end cap claimed in claim 6 wherein said corrugated tongue has corrugations on opposite sides of a longitudinal horizontal plane.

9. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling is a flexible tongue which extends generally obliquely between a fixing lug and said closure part.

10. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling is a flexible tongue which extends in a horizontal plane along a longitudinal axis of said trunking from a base of said closure part to a base of said fixing part.

11. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling is a flexible tongue which extends in a horizontal plane along a longitudinal axis of said trunking in a heightwise direction relative to said base section of said trunking.

12. The end cap claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastic coupling is obtained by molding a flexible plastics material, said closure and fixing parts are obtained by molding a rigid plastics material and their combination forms a one-piece component.