US-12618454-B2 - Clamping device

Abstract

A clamping device includes: a body defining opposite apertures to allow an elongate article to extend through the body, the body further defining a space between the apertures; a clamping member for clamping the elongate article; and an insert arrangement or overmoulded part received in the space. The insert arrangement or overmoulded part includes a holder defining a passage along which the elongate article can extend, wherein the holder includes a clamping formation, and the clamping member clamps the elongate article against the clamping formation in use.

Inventors

• Samuel White

Assignees

• GRIPPLE LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20220812

Priority Date

20210818

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A clamping device comprising: a body defining opposite apertures to allow an elongate article to extend through the body, the body defining a space between the apertures; a clamping member for clamping the elongate article; and an insert arrangement or overmoulded part received in the space; the insert arrangement or overmoulded part comprising a holder defining a passage along which the elongate article can extend; wherein the holder includes a clamping formation, the clamping member clamping the elongate article against the clamping formation in use, and wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part is formed of a different material than the body.
2. 2 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the clamping member comprises: an elongate main portion having opposite ends; a clamping surface on the main portion; and a sliding surface on the main portion.
3. 3 . The clamping device of claim 2 , wherein the clamping surface is serrated.
4. 4 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part has outer walls, and wherein the holder is defined between the outer walls.
5. 5 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the clamping formation constitutes a first clamping wall, and wherein the holder further comprises a second clamping wall for applying a clamping force to the clamping member, to clamp the clamping member and the elongate article between the first and second clamping walls.
6. 6 . The clamping device of claim 5 , wherein the holder comprises a cover member to provide a cover across the space defined by the body, wherein the cover member extends between the first and second clamping walls.
7. 7 . The clamping device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second clamping walls converge towards each other, and wherein the first and second clamping walls provide a narrowing gap between the first and second clamping walls.
8. 8 . The clamping device of claim 1 , comprising a spring for urging the clamping member into clamping engagement with the elongate article.
9. 9 . The clamping device of claim 8 , wherein the body comprises a reaction wall for applying a reaction force to the urging member.
10. 10 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the passage has an entrance end through which the elongate article enters the passage when the elongate article is introduced into the passage, wherein the passage has an exit end through which the elongate article exits the passage after the elongate article has been introduced into the passage, wherein the holder defines opposite openings for the passage through which the elongate article can extend, wherein one of the opposite openings is an entrance opening at the entrance end of the passage, and wherein the other of the opposite openings is an exit opening at the exit end of the passage.
11. 11 . The clamping device of claim 10 , wherein the body includes a chamber at an end of the body, wherein a spring extends from the chamber into the holder via the exit opening, wherein the spring is for urging the clamping member into clamping engagement with the elongate article.
12. 12 . The clamping device of claim 10 , wherein the body comprises opposite partitions extending across the space defined between the opposite apertures, wherein one of the partitions defines an entrance hole aligned with the entrance opening of the holder, and wherein the other of the partitions defines an exit hole aligned with the exit opening of the holder.
13. 13 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part is formed of a more fire-resistant material than the body.
14. 14 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part is formed of stainless steel, and/or the clamping member is formed of a ceramic material, and/or the body is formed of zinc or a plastics material.
15. 15 . The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part comprises two of the holders, wherein the clamping device comprises two of the clamping members, and wherein a respective one of the clamping members is provided for each of the holders.
16. 16 . The clamping device of claim 15 , wherein each of the holders defines a respective passage.
17. 17 . The clamping device of claim 16 , wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part has opposite ends, wherein the entrance end of each of the passages is at the opposite end of the insert arrangement or overmoulded part to the entrance end of the other of the passages.
18. 18 . The clamping device of claim 15 , wherein the insert arrangement or overmoulded part comprises a connecting portion to connect the holders to each other.
19. 19 . A clamping device comprising: a body defining opposite apertures to allow an elongate article to extend through the body, the body defining a space between the apertures; a clamping member for clamping the elongate article; and an insert arrangement or overmoulded part received in the space; the insert arrangement or overmoulded part comprising a holder defining a passage along which the elongate article can extend; wherein the holder includes a clamping formation, the clamping member clamping the elongate article against the clamping formation in use, wherein the clamping member comprises: an elongate main portion having opposite ends; a clamping surface on the main portion; and a sliding surface on the main portion.
20. 20 . A clamping device comprising: a body defining opposite apertures to allow an elongate article to extend through the body, the body defining a space between the apertures; a clamping member for clamping the elongate article; and an insert arrangement or overmoulded part received in the space; the insert arrangement or overmoulded part comprising a holder defining a passage along which the elongate article can extend; wherein the holder includes a clamping formation, the clamping member clamping the elongate article against the clamping formation in use, wherein the passage has an entrance end through which the elongate article enters the passage when the elongate article is introduced into the passage, wherein the passage has an exit end through which the elongate article exits the passage after the elongate article has been introduced into the passage, wherein the holder defines opposite openings for the passage through which the elongate article can extend, wherein one of the opposite openings is an entrance opening at the entrance end of the passage, and wherein the other of the opposite openings is an exit opening at the exit end of the passage, wherein the body includes a chamber at an end of the body, wherein a spring extends from the chamber into the holder via the exit opening, wherein the spring is for urging the clamping member into clamping engagement with the elongate article.

Description

This application is a National Phase Filing of PCT/IB2022/057539, having an International filing date of Aug. 12, 2022, which claims priority of GB 2111811.2, filed Aug. 18, 2021, and GB 2211782.4, filed Aug. 12, 2022. The disclosure of the foregoing are hereby incorporated by reference. This invention relates to clamping devices. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to clamping devices for clamping elongate articles. In order to ensure that cable clamping devices meet the requirements of fire safety, many comprise bodies formed from a suitable fire resistant material, such as stainless steel, which can be costly. Wedges are often used to clamp cables. As a result of the clamping forces between the wedge and the body of the device, releasing the wedge can sometimes be difficult. According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a clamping device comprising: a body defining opposite apertures to allow an elongate article to extend through the body, the body defining a space between the apertures; a clamping member for clamping the elongate article; and an insert arrangement received in the space; the insert arrangement comprising a holder defining a passage along which the elongate article can extend; wherein the holder includes a clamping formation, the clamping member clamping the elongate article against the clamping formation. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an insert arrangement for use in a clamping device, the insert arrangement comprising a holder defining a passage along which an elongate article can extend, the holder including a clamping formation, wherein a clamping member in the holder can clamp the elongate article against the clamping formation. The clamping member may comprise an elongate main portion having opposite ends. The clamping member may further include a clamping surface on the main portion, and a sliding surface on the main portion. In a first clamping member, the sliding surface may taper inwardly towards one of said ends According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a clamping member for use in a clamping device, the clamping member comprising: an elongate main portion having opposite ends; a clamping surface on the main portion; and a sliding surface on the main portion, wherein the sliding surface tapers inwardly towards one of said ends. The space defined by the body may be a compartment in the body. The passage may be aligned with the apertures. The clamping formation may comprise a clamping wall, which may extend along the passage. The insert arrangement may be insertable into the space defined by the body. The insert arrangement may be removable from the space defined by the body. The body may define a collecting formation in which debris formed by the insertion of the insert arrangement into the space defined by the body. The body may have opposite edge surfaces. The collecting formation may be defined adjacent one of the edge surfaces. The collecting formation may be a channel. The channel may extend along the edge surface. The body may define two of the collecting formations. The collecting formations may be arranged opposite each other. Each of the collecting formations may be defined adjacent a respective one of the edge surfaces. Each of the collecting formations may be a respective channel. Each channel may extend along a respective one of the edge surfaces. The clamping device may include a securing member to secure the insert arrangement in the body. The securing member may extend along the holder or the edge surface. The securing member may comprise a rib, such as a crush rib. The securing member may extend across one of the edge surfaces of the body. The clamping device may comprise a plurality of the securing members. Each securing member may extend along the holder or the edge surface. Each securing member may comprise a rib, such as a crush rib. The securing members may extend across the edge surfaces of the body. The insert arrangement may extend over the collecting formations when the insert arrangement is received in the space. The insertion arrangement may have outer walls. The outer walls may be disposed over the collecting formations to prevent material in the collecting formations being displaced therefrom. The outer walls may constitute sealing formations to seal said material in the collecting formations. The above mentioned clamping formation may constitute a first clamping formation. The holder may comprise a second clamping formation for applying a clamping force to the clamping member. Thus, the clamping member and the elongate article are clamped between the first and second clamping formations. The above mentioned clamping wall may constitute a first clamping wall. The second clamping formation may comprise a second clamping wall. The first and second clamping formations may converge towards each other. The first and second clamping formations may provide