Conduit assembly and method of installation

• US 6,668,864 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ibiden Co., Ltd., Mirai Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mirai Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Shohachi
• Primary Examiner(s): HOOK, JAMES F
• Application Number:
  US09/896,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 138/110, 138/89, 138/106, 138/108, 138/112, 138/115, 138/116, 138/117
• US Class Current: 138/89
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 5/04 to form a firebreak device
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 5/14 for double-walled or multi-channel pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/22 Installations of cables or lines through walls, floors or ceilings, e.g. into buildings

Abstract

A conduit assembly for a partition for receiving wires, hoses, or cables. The conduit assembly includes passages and foaming material, which expands on the outer surface of the conduit assembly. The conduit assembly is arranged in a through hole, which is formed in the partition. The foaming material expands when heated, thus fixing the conduit assembly in the partition. The conduit assembly further includes spare passages. Detachable plugs close the spare passages. When adding more wires, hoses, or cables to the conduit assembly, the plugs are removed.

Claims

1. A conduit assembly for permitting an elongated object to pass through a through hole formed in a partition, the conduit assembly comprising:

a conduit located within the through hole, wherein the conduit has first and second openings; and

a detachable plug located within at least one of the first and second openings for defining a port for receiving the elongated object inside the associate opening,

wherein the plug has an elastic wall for closing the port at a predetermined distance from an edge of the conduit, the elastic wall being deformable to permit the elongated object to pass through the port,

wherein the plug is formed by first and second plug structures connected endwise to one another, and

wherein the elastic wall is formed by a first elastic lip formed in the first plug structure and a second elastic lip formed in the second plug structure.

2. The conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic lip has a length substantially equal to that of the second elastic lip, and wherein when the port receives the elongated object, the first and the second elastic lips deforms and support the elongated object at center of the port.

3. The conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is one of a plurality of conduits.

4. The conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plug is one of a plurality of plugs.

5. The conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the conduit has a first end spaced from the first opening and a second end spaced from the second opening.

6. A conduit assembly for permitting an elongated object to pass a through hole formed in a partition, the conduit assembly comprising:

a conduit located within the through hole, wherein the conduit has first and second openings; and

a detachable plug located within at least one of the first and second openings for defining a port for receiving the elongated object inside the associate opening,

wherein the plug has an elastic wail for closing the port at a predetermined distance from an edge of the conduit, the elastic wall being deformable to permit the elongated object to pass through the port,

wherein when the port is filled with a fire resistant seal material, the elastic wall prevents an inward flow of the seal material.

7. The conduit assembly according to claim 6, wherein the plug has an opened boxy shape, and wherein the seal material fills inside the plug.

8. The conduit assembly according to claim 6, wherein the seal material seals a space between the plug and the port.

9. An insert for a conduit, the insert comprising:

a frame having first and second ends constructed to fit inside an end of the conduit;

a flange extending outwardly from the first end of the frame; and

opposed flexible shutter members extending inward from the second end of the frame, wherein when the insert is fitted to the conduit, the flange is engaged with an end of the conduit and the flexible shutter members are located at a position distanced from the end of the conduit and a space is formed between the flexible shutter members and the inside of the frame, and wherein, when an elongated member is passed through the conduit, the flexible shutter members are deformed and support the flexible member.

10. The insert according to claim 9, wherein the flexible shutter members are serrated shutter plates.

11. A conduit assembly for permitting an elongated object to pass through a through hole formed in a partition, the conduit assembly comprising:

a conduit located within the through hole, wherein the conduit has first and second openings; and

a detachable plug located within at feast one of the first and second openings for defining a port for receiving the elongated object inside the associate opening,

wherein the plug has an elastic wall for closing the port at a predetermined distance from an edge of the conduit, the elastic wall being deformable to permit the elongated object to pass through the port,

wherein the detachable plug further has a flange extending outwardly from one end of the plug, and the elastic wall is formed to extend inwardly from the other end of the plug,

wherein when the plug is fitted to the conduit, the flange is engaged with the end of the conduit.