Hinged top lid for cable channel

• US 6,107,576 A
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Newton Instrucment Company
• Original Assignee: Newton Instrucment Company
• Inventors: Morton, Jason T., Judd, Stephen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLDS, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US09/031,568
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 174/101, 174/68.3, 174/68.2, 174/70 C, 174/72 C, 174/97, 138/155, 138/156
• US Class Current: 174/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0418 Covers or lids; Their fastenings

Abstract

A cable channel and lid assembly including an elongate cable channel for supporting wire and/or optical cable therein and defining outwardly facing grooves adjacent the top edge of each side wall. A hinged top lid is provided including two opposing side walls wherein each side wall includes an inwardly extending portion for being received by a corresponding channel wall groove. One of the top lid side walls is substantially rigid and can be disengagingly raised from its associated channel wall groove, and the other of the top lid side walls is flexible and adapted to be fixedly secured in its associated groove so as to serve as a hinge when the aforesaid opposing top lid side wall is raised.

Claims

1. In combination (A) an elongate cable channel adapted for supporting wire and/or optical cables therein and comprising a bottom and two opposing side walls wherein each side wall defines an outwardly facing groove adjacent the top edge thereof and (B) a hinged top lid comprising a top and two opposing downwardly depending side walls wherein each top lid side wall defines an inwardly extending portion adjacent to the bottom edge thereof for being slidably received by the groove in each said channel side wall, and wherein one of said top lid side walls is substantially rigid throughout with an inwardly extending hook on the end thereof and adapted to be disengagingly raised from its associated groove, and the other of said top lid side walls is substantially flexible throughout due to being formed of thinner plastic than the substantially rigid top lid side wall and also having an inwardly extending tongue on the end thereof so as to remain fixedly secured in its associated groove in a tongue and groove relationship and for said other top lid side wall to serve as a hinge when said opposing top lid side wall is disengagingly raised in order to open the top lid of the cable channel for access thereto.

2. In combination (A) an elongate cable channel adapted for supporting wire and/or optical cables therein and comprising a bottom and two opposing side walls wherein each side wall defines an outwardly facing groove adjacent the top edge thereof and (B) a hinged top lid comprising a top and two opposing downwardly depending side walls wherein each top lid side wall defines an inwardly extending portion adjacent the bottom edge thereof for being slidably received by the groove in each said channel side wall, and wherein one of said top lid side walls is substantially rigid and its inwardly extending portion comprises a latch member adapted to be disengagingly raised from its associated groove, and the other of said top lid side walls is substantially flexible throughout due to being formed of thinner plastic than the substantially rigid top lid side wall and also having its inwardly extending portion comprising a tongue so as to fixedly remain in its associated groove in a tongue and groove relationship so the flexible wall can serve as a hinge when said opposing top lid side wall is disengagingly raised in order to open the top lid of the cable channel for access thereto.