Pin-based non-metallic fittings for attachment of flexible metallic conduit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762044-B1
Application number	US-201615272316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for attaching flexible conduit to an adapter. A pin is inserted opposite a retention rib molded into an aperture of the adapter. Due to the geometry of the flexible conduit and the location of the pin and the retention rib, once inserted, the pin secures the flexible conduit and prevents the flexible conduit from coming loose.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible conduit fitting apparatus comprising:
a removable conduit retainer; and
a conduit adapter comprising:
a conduit aperture sized to receive a flexible conduit, the flexible conduit having a minor diameter, a major diameter, a valley, and a pitch distance;
a conduit retention rib located in the conduit aperture; and
a guide hole formed in the conduit adapter, the guide hole positioned offset from center at a distance of at least half of the minor diameter,

wherein the removable conduit retainer is configured to be inserted in the guide hole to engage tangentially to the minor diameter of the flexible conduit in order to secure the flexible conduit, wherein the removable conduit retainer is inserted opposite the conduit retention rib in the conduit aperture.

2. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the removable conduit retainer is configured to be inserted offset from the conduit retention rib along an axis of the conduit aperture, the offset amount matching the pitch distance of the flexible conduit.

3. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a center of the removable conduit retainer, when inserted into the aperture, is at a distance less than the major diameter and greater than a difference between the minor diameter and one half a width of the removable conduit retainer from the conduit retention rib.

4. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the removable conduit retainer is inserted in the conduit aperture without causing a deformation of the conduit adapter.

5. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conduit is flexible metallic conduit and the conduit adapter is formed from a non-metallic material.

6. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the non-metallic material is injection molded plastic.

7. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a junction box configured to connect wires of one or more electrical devices to one or more wires contained in the flexible conduit.

8. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the junction box and the conduit adapter are a single molded plastic part.

9. The flexible conduit fitting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conduit adapter includes a guide hole for the removable conduit retainer, and wherein the removable conduit retainer is insertable into the guide hole from either one of two opposing directions into the conduit aperture.

10. A system comprising:
a conduit adapter configured to receive a flexible conduit having a minor diameter, a major diameter, and a pitch distance, into an aperture;
a conduit retention rib located on an inside of the aperture of the conduit adapter;
a guide hole formed in the conduit aperture, the guide hole positioned offset from center; and
a conduit retention screw positionable to be located across the aperture from the conduit retention rib by a distance equal to or greater than the minor diameter and less than the major diameter.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the conduit retention screw is offset along an axis of the aperture from the conduit retention rib by the pitch distance.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the flexible conduit is flexible metallic conduit and the conduit adapter is formed from a non-metallic material.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the non-metallic material is injection molded plastic.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a junction box configured to connect wires of one or more electrical devices to one or more electrical conductors contained in the flexible conduit.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the junction box and the conduit adapter are a single molded plastic part.

16. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a conduit retention screw cap configured to limit movement of the conduit retention screw.

17. A method for attaching a flexible conduit to a conduit adapter, the method comprising:
inserting the flexible conduit having a minor diameter, a major diameter and a pitch distance into the conduit adapter;
inserting a conduit retention screw into the conduit adapter so that the conduit retention screw is located opposite a conduit retention rib integrated with the conduit adapter, the conduit retention screw located offset to the conduit retention rib along an axis of the flexible conduit by the pitch distance of the flexible conduit, the conduit retention screw located tangentially to the minor diameter of the flexible conduit; and
holding the flexible conduit in place between the conduit retention screw and the conduit retention rib.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the conduit retention screw is driven into the conduit adapter without causing a deformation of the conduit adapter.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
forming the conduit retention rib and the conduit adapter with a single piece of injection molded plastic.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
connecting wires of one or more electrical devices in a junction box to one or more electrical conductors contained in the flexible conduit.

Assignees

• Siemens Industry Inc

Inventors

• Caliendo Guy P
• Markus Robert
• Waldmann Samuel

Classifications

• H02G15/103 Primary

  with devices for relieving electrical stress · CPC title

• H02G1/14

  for joining or terminating cables · CPC title

• H02G3/0683

  with bolts operating in a direction transverse to the conductors · CPC title

• H02G3/0468 Primary

  Corrugated · CPC title

• H02G3/0691

  Fixing tubing to casing by auxiliary means co-operating with indentations of the tubing, e.g. with tubing-convolutions · CPC title