JP7749503B2 - Suspension wire protection cover - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a protective cover for overhead wires in electric railroad tracks, which eliminates the need for locking pins and simplifies installation and removal work at high altitudes.

The basic form of a suspension wire protection cover is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. It consists of a pair of divided bodies with a flange at one end of the semi-cylindrical part and a fitting part protruding radially at the other end, and the flanges are provided with notches into which the fitting part of the other divided body can be fitted, and the two divided bodies are slidably engaged in an alternating manner to form a spool-like shape.
In the above-mentioned known example, a pin hole is drilled through a part of each of the flange and the fitting portion so as to penetrate both of them, and a split pin is inserted into this hole to prevent the divided bodies from slipping out of each other.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-1634

Installing protective covers is a high-altitude job and often requires work at night. Inserting pins into small pin holes in the dark on a ladder or work vehicle is no easy task. It is also common for split pins to be accidentally dropped.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a suspension wire protection cover that does not require a locking pin and simplifies installation and removal work at high altitudes.

In the following description, reference will be made to the reference numerals in the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In order to solve the above problems, the suspension wire protection cover 1 of the present invention comprises a pair of segments 2 each having a flange 4 with a notch 5 at one end of a semi-cylindrical portion 3 and a fitting portion 6 protruding radially at the other end, and is assembled like a spool by alternately engaging the pair of segments 2 in the axial direction of the semi-cylindrical portion 3, with the fitting portion 6 of one segment 2 fitting into the notch 5 of the other segment 2. Each segment 2 is equipped with a snap portion 8 consisting of a support 81 extending outward from the fitting portion 6 and a pair of arrowhead-shaped elastic locking pieces 82 continuous with the tip of the support 81, and when combined with the other segment 2, the pair of elastic locking pieces 82 elastically contract and close while sliding against the opposing surfaces of the notch of the other segment 2, and when combination is complete, they expand and engage the outer edges of the notch 5 of the other segment 2 to prevent disengagement, and are provided so as to be contracted and detached by manual operation.

According to the present invention, the pair of segments 2 are joined solely by the engagement of the snap portions 8, eliminating the need for a locking pin. Furthermore, the engagement can be released simply by pinching the elastic locking pieces 82 of the snap portions 8 with the fingers and performing a retracting operation, simplifying installation and removal work at high altitudes.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the suspension wire protection cover of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the suspension wire protection cover of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a front view of the suspension wire protection cover of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the suspension wire protection cover of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a front view of a divided body that constitutes the suspension wire protection cover of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a plan view of a divided body constituting the suspension wire protection cover of FIG. 2 .

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2, the overhead catenary wire protective cover 1 is formed by combining a pair of segments 2 of the same shape and size. Each segment 2 is made of synthetic resin and includes a semi-cylindrical portion 3, a flange 4 with a notch 5 at one end, and a fitting portion 6 that protrudes radially from the other end. The pair of segments 2 are opposed to each other so as to sandwich the overhead catenary wire W, and are engaged alternately in the axial direction of the semi-cylindrical portions 3, whereby the fitting portion 6 of one segment 2 is fitted into the notch 5 of the other segment 2, forming a spool-like assembly to form the overhead catenary wire protective cover 1, as shown in FIG.

Each segment 2 has a pair of locking projections 7 provided on the outer surfaces of the opposing edges of the cutout 5 (the outer surfaces of the flange), and a snap portion 8 provided on the outer surface of the fitting portion 6.

The snap portion 8 consists of a support post 81 extending outward from the mating portion 6 and a pair of arrowhead-shaped elastic locking pieces 82 connected to the tip of the support post 81. Finger hook protrusions 83 are provided on the outer sides of the tips of the elastic locking pieces 82. When the pair of elastic locking pieces 82 are combined with the other segment 2, the outer surfaces of their tips slide against the opposing surfaces of the cutout portions 5 of the other segment 2, elastically contracting and closing. When combination is complete, the pieces protrude outward from the flange portion 4 and expand, engaging with the locking protrusions 7 of the other segment 2 to prevent disengagement.

When removing the protective cover 1 from the suspension wire W, the tips of the pair of elastic locking pieces 82 that protrude outward from the flange 4 are pinched with the fingers, bent inward, and pushed into the notch 5. While the worker is wearing protective gloves, making delicate work difficult, the finger hook projections 83 make the operation relatively easy.

The locking protrusion 7 has a groove 71 into which the tip of the elastic locking piece 82 of the other segment 2 it is mated with is fitted. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 71 is similar to the outer shape of the tip of the elastic locking piece 82, and it holds the tip of the elastic locking piece 82 when it is expanded. Therefore, the elastic locking piece 82 is not easily deformed by unexpected external forces when engaged with the locking protrusion 7. The groove 71 also has an inner wall 72 that collides with the outer edge of the elastic locking piece 82 when it expands elastically, producing an engagement confirmation sound. The engagement confirmation sound confirms that the pair of segments 2 are securely joined and the protective cover 1 is attached to the suspension wire W.

When attaching the protective cover 1 to the overhead wire W, a pair of segments 2 are positioned alternately, offset in the direction of the wire extension, so as to sandwich the overhead wire W from above and below, and the semi-cylindrical sections 3 are slid against each other, butting together so that the mating sections 6 fit into each other's notches 5. During this process, the elastic locking pieces 82 flex and slide along the inner surfaces of the notches 5, and when they pass the ends, the legs 8a, 9a spread and engage with the locking protrusions 7. This prevents the pair of segments 2 from coming loose, completing the installation of the protective cover 1.

To remove the protective cover 1 attached to the suspension wire W in this way, simply pinch the elastic locking pieces 82 of the snap portions 8 protruding from the flanges 4 at both ends with your fingers and bend them inward to remove them from the cutouts 5, while shifting the pair of segments 2 in the direction of the wire extension.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Suspension wire protection cover 2 Divided body 3 Semi-cylindrical portion 4 Flange portion 5 Cutout portion 6 Fitting portion 7 Locking protrusion 71 Line groove 72 Inner wall 8 Snap portion 81 Support 82 Elastic locking piece 83 Finger hook protrusion W Suspension wire

Claims (3)

A suspension wire protection cover is comprised of a pair of divided bodies, each of which has a semi-cylindrical portion, a flange portion with a notch provided at one end of the semi-cylindrical portion, and a fitting portion protruding radially from the other end, and is assembled in a spool-like manner by alternately engaging the pair of divided bodies in the axial direction of the semi-cylindrical portion so that the fitting portion of one divided body fits into the notch of the other divided body,
Each of the divided bodies has a snap portion consisting of a support post extending outward from the fitting portion and a pair of arrowhead-shaped elastic locking pieces connected to the tip of the support post,
The pair of elastic locking pieces of the snap portion, when combined with the other segment, elastically bend inward while sliding against the opposing surface of the cutout of the other segment, and when the combination is complete, they expand and engage with the outer edge of the cutout of the other segment, thereby preventing it from coming loose, and is characterized in that it can be bent inward by manual operation and removed. Each of the divided bodies includes a pair of locking projections formed on the outer edge of the notch,
2. The overhead wire protection cover according to claim 1, wherein the locking projection has a groove into which the tip of the elastic locking piece of the other divided body to be combined is fitted. The overhead wire protection cover of claim 2, characterized in that the groove of the locking protrusion has an inner wall that the tip of the elastic locking piece collides with when the elastic locking piece elastically expands, producing an engagement confirmation sound.