Light weight cable housing

Claim 2

A light-weight, plastic conduit section for connection to similar conduit sections comprising: elongated wall means defining a passage therein; an outwardly tapered male portion at one end of said wall means and integral therewith; means defining a female portion integral with said wall means at the other end thereof to permit insertion of said male portion into a female portion of an adjacent similar conduit section, the outer transverse dimensions of said male portion at the free end thereof beiNg generally equal to the inner transverse dimensions of said female portion at a section opposite the free end thereof for supporting a section of a similar conduit female portion thereon; a flange integral with and spaced from the free end of said male portion, the outer transverse dimensions of said flange corresponding to inner transverse dimensions of a section of said female portion near the free end thereof for supporting the female portion of a similar conduit section on said flange when said male portion is inserted therein; partition walls integral with and extending transversely between said wall means within said passage for dividing said passage into a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways, said partition walls extending outwardly of the end of said wall means and within said female portion defining means to provide integral wall projections having generally U complement shapes with inclined flat bearing surfaces; and the partition walls at said male portion being correspondingly recessed from the end of said wall means, whereby said projections and recesses provide column-like support for the joint between connected similar conduit sections.

Claim 3

The conduit section of claim 1 wherein said flange is continuous around said male portion.

Claim 4

The conduit section of claim 1 further comprising an annular, resilient sealing gasket carried by the outwardly tapered male portion of said section having its inside face engaging and sealing said outwardly tapered male portion and its outer face engageable with the female portion of an adjacent similar section for sealing engagement therewith.

Claim 5

A light-weight, high strength conduit section for connection to similar conduit sections comprising: elongated wall means defining a passage therein; a male portion at one end of said wall means and integral therewith; means defining an integral female portion at the other end of said wall means; and transversely disposed partition walls within said wall means and integral therewith for dividing said passage into longitudinally extending passageways, integral portions of said partition walls projecting outwardly of said wall means at a first end thereof and being correspondingly recessed at a second end thereof, whereby complementary partition wall projecting and recessed portions of adjacent similar conduits may be interlockingly mated to provide column-like support at the joint therebetween.

Claim 6

A light-weight, high strength conduit section for connection to similar conduit sections comprising: elongated wall means defining a passage therein; a male portion at one end of said wall means and integral therewith; means defining an integral female portion at the other end of said wall means; and transversely disposed partition walls within said wall means and integral therewith for dividing said passage into longitudinally extending passageways, integral portions of said partition walls projecting outwardly of said wall means at a first end thereof and being correspondingly recessed at a second end thereof, whereby complementary partition wall projecting and recessed portions of adjacent similar conduits may be interlockingly mated to provide column-like support at the joint therebetween.

Claim 7

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said recessed partition wall portions define generally U-shaped recesses having legs defining inclined bearing surfaces and said projecting partition walls are complementary to said recesses.

Claim 8

The conduit section of claim 5 wherein said legs are inclined at an angle of from about 10* to about 20* from a longitudinal plane normal to the respective partition walls.

Claim 9

The conduit section of claim 5 wherein said angle is 15*.

Claim 10

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said projecting partition wall portions project within said female portion defining means.

Claim 11

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said partition walls increase in cross-section toward said enclosing walls.

Claim 12

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said male portion includes a circumferentially extending flange spaced from the free end thereof, the outer transverse dimensions of said flange corresponding to the inner transverse dimensions of said female portion at a section near the free end thereof, whereby said flange may support the free end of said female portion of a similar conduit when said male portion is inserted therein.

Claim 13

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein the inner transverse dimensions of said female portion are generally larger than the external transverse dimensions of said male portion to permit limited angular displacement of adjacent connected sections.

Claim 14

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein the outer transverse dimensions at the free end of said male portion equal the inner tranSverse dimensions of said female portion at a section opposite the free end thereof, whereby said male portion free end may support a female portion of a similar conduit section when inserted therein.

Claim 15

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said male portion includes an outwardly tapered portion having a circumferentially extending groove therein, and a resilient sealing gasket having a rib corresponding in shape to said groove at its inside face, said gasket being carried on said tapered male portion with said rib positioned in said groove, whereby said gasket provides sealing engagement between said male portion and a female portion of an adjacent similar conduit section.

Claim 16

The conduit section of claim 13 wherein said gasket is provided with a plurality of circumferentially extending, spaced apart continuous ribs on the other surface for engaging the inner portion of the female portion of an adjacent conduit section thereby to increase the sealing effect therebetween.

Claim 17

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said female portion includes circumferentially disposed gussets for reinforcing the junction between said female portion and said wall means.

Claim 18

The conduit section of claim 4 wherein said section has a flange adjacent said male portion and said female portion includes a surface generally perpendicular to said wall means; and a plurality of spring clips, said clips being engageable with said flange and the perpendicular surface of an adjacent similar section for securing the sections together.

Claim 19

The conduit section of claim 16 wherein each said spring clips comprise an elongated portion bent at a given angle for spanning the joint between conduit sections and reversely bent end portions for gripping said flange and said surface.

Claim 20

The conduit section of claim 16 wherein said flange has an upper surface tapered at an angle complementary to said spring clip elongated portion whereby a portion of a clip is supported thereon.

Claim 21

A light-weight, injection molded plastic conduit section for connection to similar conduit sections comprising: an elongated, generally rectangular-shaped enclosing wall defining a passage therein; means defining an integral female portion at one end of said enclosing wall; said enclosing wall defining an integral male portion at the other end thereof, the outer transverse dimensions of the free end of said male portion corresponding to the inner transverse dimensions of said female portion at a section opposite the free end thereof; an annular flange adjacent said male portion having outer transverse dimensions equal to the inner transverse dimensions of the free end of said female portion to support said free end thereon; said male portion having a circumferentially extending groove formed therein between said flange and the free end of said male portion; an annular gasket having a rib on its inner surface corresponding in shape to said groove and carried thereon, the outer surface of said gasket being engageable with the inner surface of a female portion of an adjacent similar conduit section and an edge of said gasket abutting said flange to facilitate positioning of said gasket on said male portion; and longitudinally extending, transversely disposed partition walls integral with said enclosing wall for dividing said passage into a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways, said partition walls projecting outwardly into said female portion to provide integral generally U-shaped projections with inclined bearing surfaces and being correspondingly recessed at the male portion of said section, said partition walls being tapered outwardly toward said enclosing wall, whereby said projections and recesses provide column-like support in combination with said flange and the free end of said male portion to support the joint between connected similar conduit sections under shear loading.

Claim 22

A light-weight, injection molded plastic conduit section for connection to similar conduit sections comprising: an elongated, generally rectangular-shaped enclosing wall defining a passage therein; means defining an integral female portion at one end of said enclosing wall; said enclosing wall defining an integral male portion at the other end thereof, the outer transverse dimensions of the free end of said male portion corresponding to the inner transverse dimensions of said female portion at a section opposite the free end thereof; an annular flange adjacent said male portion having outer transverse dimensions equal to the inner transverse dimensions of the free end of said female portion to support said free end thereon; said male portion having a circumferentially extending groove formed therein between said flange and the free end of said male portion; an annular gasket having a rib on its inner surface corresponding in shape to said groove and carried thereon, the outer surface of said gasket being engageable with the inner surface of a female portion of an adjacent similar conduit section and an edge of said gasket abutting said flange to facilitate positioning of said gasket on said male portion; and longitudinally extending, transversely disposed partition walls integral with said enclosing wall for dividing said passage into a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways, said partition walls projecting outwardly into said female portion to provide integral generally U-shaped projections with inclined bearing surfaces and being correspondingly recessed at the male portion of said section, said partition walls being tapered outwardly toward said enclosing wall, whereby said projections and recesses provide column-like support in combination with said flange and the free end of said male portion to support the joint between connected similar conduit sections under shear loading.