Conductor marker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9799428-B2
Application number	US-201414785773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Apr 25, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A connector marker for identifying an electrical conductor includes a marker body formed of a synthetic plastic material and a pair of generally planar half sections normally arranged in an initial open condition in horizontal coplanar side-by-side relation. At least one of the half sections has an upper surface carrying labeling indicia. At least one integral film hinge device connects the adjacent side edges of the half sections, thereby to afford pivotal displacement of the half sections about a given pivot axis from the open condition toward a closed condition enclosing the electrical conductor to be marked. At least one non-skid element extends from the hinge device for non-skid engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the conductor as the half sections are pivotally displaced from the open condition to the closed condition, thereby to prevent longitudinal slipping of the marker body relative to the conductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector marker for identifying an electrical conductor, comprising:
a marker body formed of a synthetic plastic material including:
(a) a pair of generally planar half sections normally arranged in an initial open condition in horizontal coplanar side-by-side relation, said half sections having adjacent side edges, at least one of said half sections having an upper surface adapted to carry labeling indicia, said half sections having lower surfaces;
(b) at least one integral film hinge device connecting together said half section lower surfaces adjacent said side edges, thereby to afford pivotal displacement of said half sections about a given pivot axis from said open condition toward a closed condition enclosing the electrical conductor to be marked; and
(c) at least two non-skid elements extending from opposite sides of said hinge device, respectively, and having a rounded extremity for non-skid engagement with an outer peripheral surface of the conductor as said half sections are pivotally displaced from said open condition to said closed condition, thereby to prevent longitudinal slipping of the marker body relative to the conductor.

2. The connector marker defined in claim 1 , wherein said film hinge device is initially generally V-shaped and includes a pair of upwardly divergent legs having outer surfaces from which said non-skid elements extend, respectively.

3. The connector marker defined in claim 2 , wherein said non-skid elements are in engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the conductor during at least the first 60° of angular displacement of said half sections from said open condition toward said closed condition.

4. The connector marker defined in claim 2 , wherein said non-skid elements are in engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the conductor during at least the first 90° of angular displacement of said half sections from said open condition toward said closed condition.

5. The connector marker defined in claim 4 , wherein during the angular displacement of the half sections from the open condition through an angle beyond about 30° toward the closed condition, the rounded extremities of the non-skid elements serve as pivot points about which the half sections pivot relative to the conductor.

6. The connector marker defined in claim 2 , wherein for a given conductor diameter near the lower end of the diameter range of between Dmin and Dmax, the half section closing forces are less than the opposing conductor force during pivotal motion of the half sections from the fully open condition through an angle of about 90° toward a partially closed condition, whereby the conductor is not pushed away from the conductor marker body, resulting in an easy closing process.

7. The connector marker defined in claim 1 , wherein said half sections are relatively rigid; and further including:
(d) a diameter compensating assembly connected with the lower surfaces of said half sections for engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the conductor, said diameter compensating assembly being operable to compensate for conductor diameters of different sizes.

8. The connector marker defined in claim 7 , wherein said diameter compensating assembly includes a plurality of deformable tabs that are integral with and extend downwardly from the lower surfaces of said half sections for engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the conductor.

9. The connector marker defined in claim 8 , wherein said deformable tabs are arranged generally normal to a longitudinal axis of the associated half section.

10. The connector marker defined in claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of one of said half sections is formed to serve as a gripping surface, the upper surface of the other half section serving as an indicia-bearing labeling surface.

11. The connector marker defined in claim 10 , wherein said gripping surface is knurled.

12. The connector marker defined in claim 1 , and further including a latch assembly arranged on the remote side edges of said half sections for latching said half sections together when said half sections are in said closed condition.

13. The connector marker defined in claim 1 , wherein said marker body includes at least two film hinge devices connected in spaced relation between said adjacent half section side edges, each of said film hinge devices including a pair of said non-skid elements arranged on opposite sides of said pivot axis.

Assignees

• Weidmueller Interface Gmbh & Co Kg
• Weidmueller Interface Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Wieneke Andreas

Classifications

• G09F3/16

  by clamps · CPC title

• G09F3/06

  by clamping action (by separate clamps G09F3/16) · CPC title

• G09F3/20

  for adjustable, removable, or interchangeable labels · CPC title

• G09F3/205

  specially adapted for electric cables, pipes or the like · CPC title

• H01B7/368 Primary

  being a sleeve, ferrule, tag, clip, label or short length strip · CPC title