US-12627128-B2 - Nonmetallic split conduit body

US12627128B2US 12627128 B2US12627128 B2US 12627128B2US-12627128-B2

Abstract

A conduit body is provided. The conduit body includes a first body of the conduit body including a first coupling surface, a first hub configured to receive a further conduit on a first side of the conduit body, and a first port on the first side of the conduit body; and a second body of the conduit body including a second coupling surface, a second hub complimentary to the first hub configured to receive the further conduit on the first side of the conduit body, and a second port on the first side of the conduit body complimentary to the first port. The first hub is configured to couple to the second hub, and the first coupling surface is configured to couple to the second coupling surface to such that the first body is coupled to the second body.

Inventors

Mathew Thomas
Matthew Garrison
Darriel P. McCaffery

Assignees

ABB SCHWEIZ AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240102

Claims (19)

1 . A conduit body, the conduit body comprising: a first body of the conduit body comprising a first coupling surface, a first hub configured to receive a further conduit on a first side of the conduit body, and a first port on the first side of the conduit body; and a second body of the conduit body comprising a second coupling surface, a second hub complimentary to the first hub configured to receive the further conduit on the first side of the conduit body, and a second port on the first side of the conduit body complimentary to the first port, wherein the first hub is configured to couple to the second hub, and the first coupling surface is configured to couple to the second coupling surface to such that the first body is coupled to the second body, wherein the first body comprises an opening on a third side, and wherein the conduit body further comprises a cover configured to couple to the first body on the third side and cover the opening.
2 . The conduit body of claim 1 , wherein the first body further comprises: a first main body, the first main body comprising the first port on the first side of the conduit body and the first hub being integrally formed with an edge of the first port on the first side of the conduit body and projecting away from the first port, and wherein the second body further comprises: a second main body, the second main body comprising the second port on the first side of the conduit body and the second hub being integrally formed with an edge of the second port on the first side of the conduit body and projecting away from the second port; and wherein the second hub is configured to be affixed to the first hub.
3 . The conduit body of claim 2 , wherein the first hub and the second hub comprise a same first internal cross section area in a first length, and a same second internal cross section area in a second length.
4 . The conduit body of claim 1 , wherein the first body further comprises a third port and a first hub on a second side of the conduit body, and wherein the second body of the conduit body further comprises a fourth port and a second hub on the second side of the conduit body, and wherein the first coupling surface is further configured to couple to the second coupling surface such that third port is coupled to the fourth port and the first hub on the second side is coupled to the second hub on the second side.
5 . The conduit body of claim 1 , wherein the first body is a top half of the conduit body and the second body is a bottom half of the conduit body, or the first body is a front half of the conduit body and the second body is a back half of the conduit body.
6 . The conduit body of claim 1 , the conduit body further comprising a gasket, wherein the first coupling surface is configured to couple to the second coupling surface while applying a force to the gasket.
7 . The conduit body of claim 1 , wherein the first body further comprises a first connection anchor configured to receive a screw, and the second body further comprises a second connection anchor configured to receive the same screw.
8 . The conduit body of claim 1 , wherein the first body further comprises: a first main body, wherein the first main body is affixed to the first hub at a first port connection surface, and wherein the second body further comprises: a second main body, wherein the second main body is affixed to the second hub at a second port connection surface.
9 . The conduit body of claim 8 , wherein the first hub is configured to be affixed to the second hub to form an assembled hub.
10 . The conduit body of claim 8 , wherein the first main body comprises a plurality of first ports, and the second main body comprises a complimentary plurality of second ports, wherein each first port is coupled to a respective second port to form a plurality of openings in at least one lateral side of the conduit body.
11 . The conduit body of claim 10 , further comprising at least one port cover, wherein the at least one port cover is affixed to at least one further first port connection surface and at least one further second port connection surface.
12 . The conduit body of claim 11 , wherein a gasket is provided at the first port connection surface or the at least one further second port connection surface.
13 . The conduit body of claim 11 , wherein the at least one port cover is interchangeable with the assembled hub.
14 . A method for installing a conduit body, the method comprising: providing a material inside a first body of the conduit body comprising a first coupling surface and a first hub configured to receive a further conduit on a first side of the conduit body, the first body forming a first port on the first side of the conduit body; aligning, with the first body, a second body of the conduit body comprising a second coupling surface and a second hub complimentary to the first hub configured to receive the further conduit on the first side of the conduit body, the second body forming a second port on the first side of the conduit body complimentary to the first port; and coupling the first hub to the second hub, and the first body to the second body, around the material using the first coupling surface and the second coupling surface, wherein the first body comprises an opening on a third side, and wherein the conduit body further comprises a cover configured to couple to the first body on the third side and cover the opening.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: coupling the first body to the further conduit by inserting the further conduit into the first hub of the first body; and coupling the second body to the first body and the further conduit.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein inserting the further conduit into the first hub further comprises: inserting the further conduit into less than the full length of the first hub such that the further conduit abuts a conduit stop of the first hub, wherein the conduit stop defines a change in an internal cross section area of the first hub.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: removing a first portion of the further conduit previously inserted into a previous hub; and preparing a remaining second portion of the further conduit, wherein coupling the first body to the further conduit by inserting the further conduit into the first hub of the first body further comprises: inserting the remaining second portion into the first hub of the first body.
18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: coupling the first hub to the first body at a first port on a first side of the first body; coupling the second hub to the second body at a second port corresponding to the first port on a same first side of the second body; and coupling a port cover to the first body at a third port on a second side of the first body and to the second body at a fourth port corresponding to the third port on a same second side of the second body.
19 . A system for replacing a conduit body, the system comprising: a material of the system, a replacement conduit body, the replacement conduit body comprising: a first body comprising a first coupling surface, a first hub on a first side of the conduit body, and a first port on the first side of the replacement conduit body, the first hub aligned with the first port and configured to receive a further conduit; and a second body comprising a second coupling surface, a second hub complimentary to the first hub on the first side of the conduit body, and a second port on the first side of the replacement conduit body complimentary to the first port, the second hub aligned with the second port and configured to receive the further conduit; wherein the first coupling surface is configured to couple to the second coupling surface such that the first body is coupled to the second body, wherein the first body comprises an opening on a third side, and wherein the conduit body further comprises a cover configured to couple to the first body on the third side and cover the opening, and the further conduit, the further conduit corresponding in shape to an inner wall of the first hub and the second hub and configured to carry the material through the further conduit.

Description

FIELD The present invention is directed to conduit systems and conduit piping. BACKGROUND Nonmetallic rigid conduits (e.g., schedule 40 and schedule 80 conduits) are frequently used for installing electrical cables in buildings. As the conduits are laid out through the building, a conduit body can be used to allow for changes in directions and splitting of circuits. The conduit body can house the wiring, splices, and wiring devices, and provide access through a cover. The hub of a conduit body can help attach the conduits to the conduit body. A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conduit body generally uses a threadless conduit hub where the conduits can be attached with PVC cement potentially providing a leak-proof permanent connection. Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, conduit hubs 100 and 150 are molded as a single piece body 102, 152 with a single piece 360 degree circular surface 104, 154 on the hub enabling the conduits to be entered through the opening from the side. However, nonmetallic conduits and conduit bodies can be easily damaged for various reasons such as hand tools or power tools hitting the conduits during construction activities. Moreover, such damage (e.g., a hole or crack on the conduit body or conduit) might not be realized until after installation has occurred. If a conduit system becomes damaged, the damaged conduit should be replaced without delay (e.g., to avoid ingress of water into the conduit system or manufacturing downtime). With the design of FIG. 1, when a user needs to replace a broken conduit body, they may need to pull the existing wiring after shutting down the electricity. This can result in equipment downtime and high labor costs. Additionally, cables routed through the conduits can get damaged and may need to be spliced together after installation. Such a replacement of wiring can also require the electricity to be turned off and the wires to be pulled out from the conduits by disassembling the end connections of the wiring. However, this can be very labor intensive and can create equipment downtimes. SUMMARY When a broken conduit body needs to be repaired, a split conduit body according to aspects of the present disclosure can be used. For example, the conduit joined to the broken conduit body can be cut at the intersection with the hub of the damaged conduit body without removing or damaging the wiring inside the PVC conduit and/or the broken conduit body. The end of the undamaged conduits can then be prepared. For instance, the end of the undamaged conduits can be cleaned to avoid any sharp edges and burrs (e.g., using a suitable cleaning solution or primer to chemically clean the end of the conduits), and after the conduit ends are cleaned and ready, PVC cement can be applied to the conduit ends. The conduit ends can then be placed on a partial hub of a top or bottom half of the split conduit body. After all the conduits that are required to be connected are properly seated on the bottom half of the conduit body, the corresponding bottom or top half of the split conduit body can be placed over the conduit and the screws provided can be used to tighten the bottom and top half of the conduit bodies. Therefore, aspects of the present disclosure can provide a split conduit body that provides the much-needed ease of installation for the several installation issues existing in the industry. Additionally, and/or alternatively, the material of the conduit (e.g., the wiring) can be arranged in the bottom half of the conduit and the top half of the conduit can be placed over the conduit, and the PVC conduit can be inserted into the hub of assembled split conduit body. The top body can then be coupled (e.g., fixed, screwed) to the bottom body before or after joining the PVC conduit to the conduit body. A “C” style conduit body can also be used to repair cracked or damaged straight conduit runs. In addition to repairing the broken conduits, a split conduit body can be used as a junction box to splice damaged wiring. In one aspect, a conduit body is provided. The conduit body comprises a first body of the conduit body comprising a first coupling surface, a first hub configured to receive a further conduit on a first side of the conduit body, and a first port on the first side of the conduit body; and a second body of the conduit body comprising a second coupling surface, a second hub configured to receive the further conduit on the first side of the conduit body complimentary to the first hub, and a second port on the first side of the conduit body complimentary to the first port. Further, the first hub is configured to couple to the second hub, and the first coupling surface is configured to couple to the second coupling surface such that the first body is coupled to the second body. Example aspects may include one of the following features, or any combination thereof. For instance, in some examples of the conduit body, the first body further comprises a first main body, the first main bod