Coupler for cable trough
View Patent ↗Couplers for a cable trough system including a terminal end sized to receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body. A spring may be coupled to the body for securing the terminal end of the trough member to the coupler, the spring including first and second spring arms extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction. The spring may be received in a slot formed by the trough member. Also included may be a spring release mechanism coupled to the body, the spring release mechanism sliding in the longitudinal direction between a locked position, such that the first and second spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough, and an unlocked position, such that the first and second fingers release the first and second arms of the spring.
1. A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising:
a body including a bottom wall and two side walls defining a trough, the body having a body terminal end defining an overlap region, the overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body;
a locking element including a spring and a spring release mechanism, the spring including first and second spring arms extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction, the spring release mechanism including first and second fingers configured to slide in the longitudinal direction between a locked position, such that the first and second spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough member, and an unlocked position, such that the first and second fingers disengage the first and second spring arms from the terminal end of the trough member, and the locking element defining a hole, wherein the locking element further includes a clip to couple the locking element to the body of the coupler, the clip including first and second arms with detents formed on ends of each of the arms to engage the body of the coupler; and
a fastener extending through the hole in the locking element, wherein the fastener is positioned to maintain the first and second arms of the clip in a direction generally away from one another so that the locking element is retained on the body.
2. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a screw.
3. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the spring release mechanism is forced by the spring into the locked position.
4. A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising:
a body including a bottom wall and two side walls defining a trough, the body having a body terminal end defining an overlap region, the overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body;
a locking element including a spring and a spring release mechanism, the spring including first and second spring arms extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction, wherein the spring release mechanism includes first and second fingers configured to slide in the longitudinal direction between a locked position, such that the first and second spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough member, and an unlocked position, such that the first and second fingers disengage the first and second spring arms from the terminal end of the trough member, and wherein the locking element defines a hole; and
a fastener extending through the hole in the locking element to couple the locking element to the body of the coupler.
5. The coupler of claim 4 , wherein the first and second fingers compress the first and second spring arms toward one another when the spring release mechanism is in the unlocked position.
6. A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising:
a body including a bottom wall and two side walls defining a trough, the body having a body terminal end defining an overlap region, the overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body;
a locking element including a spring and a spring release mechanism, the spring including first and second spring arms extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction, the spring release mechanism including first and second fingers configured to slide in the longitudinal direction between a locked position, such that the first and second spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough member, and an unlocked position, such that the first and second fingers disengage the first and second spring arms from the terminal end of the trough member, and the locking element defining a hole, wherein the locking element further includes a main body including a railway on which the spring release mechanism slides, the railway defining a notch and the spring release mechanism including a ramp such that, as the spring release mechanism is slid from the locked position to the unlocked position, the ramp pushes the railway and engages the notch to hold the spring release mechanism in the unlocked position; and
a fastener extending through the hole in the locking element to couple the locking element to the body of the coupler.
7. The coupler of claim 6 , wherein the railway is moveable so that the notch can clear the ramp to allow the spring release mechanism to slide from the unlocked to the locked position.
8. A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising:
a body including a bottom wall and two side walls defining a tough, the body having a first body terminal end defining an overlap region, the overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body;
a locking element including a first spring and a spring release mechanism, the first spring including first and second spring arms extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction, the spring release mechanism including first and second fingers configured to slide in the longitudinal direction between a locked position, such that the first and second spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough member, and an unlocked position, such that the first and second fingers disengage the first and second spring arms from the terminal end of the trough member, and the locking element defining hole;
a fastener extending through the hole in the locking element to couple the locking element to the body of the coupler;
a second body terminal end defining a second overlap region, the second overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a second trough member along the longitudinal direction of the body; and
a second spring coupled to the body for securing the terminal end of the second trough member to the coupler, the second spring including first and second spring arms extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction.
9. A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising:
a body including walls defining a bottom wall and two side walls defining a trough, the body having a body terminal end defining an overlap region, the overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body;
a spring including first and second spring arms extending at an angle with respect to one another; and
a locking element coupled to the body and including a main body with a railway on which a spring release mechanism including first and second fingers slides, the locking element including an unlocked position, in which the spring release mechanism is held by the locking element in engagement with the spring, such that the first and second fingers disengage the first and second spring arms from the terminal end of the trough member and a locked position, in which the spring release mechanism slides along the railway in the longitudinal direction to release the spring such that the first and spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough member has been inserted.
10. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the railway defines a notch and the spring release mechanism includes a ramp such that, as the spring release mechanism is slid from the locked position to the unlocked position, the ramp pushes the railway and engages the notch to hold the spring release mechanism in the unlocked position.
11. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the railway is moveable so that the notch can clear the ramp to allow the spring release mechanism to slide from the unlocked to the locked position.
12. The coupler of claim 10 , wherein the railway defines a button that extends through an aperture defined by the spring release mechanism, the button allowing the notch on the railway to be depressed when the button is pushed.
13. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the notch is a first notch and the railway defines a second notch, the first and second notches being positioned generally opposing one another, and wherein the ramp is a first ramp and the spring release mechanism includes a second ramp, the first and second ramps positioned to engage the first and second notches, respectively, when the spring release mechanism is in the unlocked position.
14. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the locking element further includes a clip whereby the locking element is coupled to the body, and the locking element defines a hole configured to receive an attaching element that is used to couple the body to a mounting bracket, wherein the clip includes first and second arms with detents formed on ends of each of the arms to engage the body of the coupler, and wherein the attaching element is positioned so that, as the attaching element extends through the hole in the spring release mechanism, the attaching element engages and pushes the first and second arms in a direction generally away from one another so that the locking element is retained on the body.