A SLEEVE FOR PROTECTING WIRE OR CABLE

MANCHON DE PROTECTION D'UN FIL OU D'UN CABLE

English Abstract

A sleeve is provided for protecting wire or cable which is run through an aperture in a stud. The sleeve comprises a slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve for receiving a wire or cable and an opening at each end to allow for entrance and exit of the wire or cable. Extended portions of the sleeve on each end further protect the enclosed wire or cable. A weakened bend line which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve and opposite the slit in the sleeve allows the sleeve to be easily bent by hand compression along the bend line so that the sleeve can be easily installed around the wire or cable without the use of any hand tools.

French Abstract

Un manchon est fourni pour la protection dun fil ou dun câble qui est installé dans une ouverture dun montant. Le manchon comprend une fente qui court longitudinalement le long de la longueur du manchon en vue de recevoir un fil ou un câble et une ouverture à chaque extrémité pour permettre lentrée et la sortie du fil ou du câble. Des portions déployées du manchon sur chaque extrémité protègent davantage le fil ou le câble enfermé. Une ligne de courbure affaiblie qui court longitudinalement le long de la longueur du manchon et à lopposé de la fente dans le manchon permet au manchon dêtre facilement courbé par compression manuelle le long de la ligne de courbure de sorte que le manchon peut facilement être installé autour du fil ou du câble sans recourir à des outils manuels.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A sleeve for protecting wire or cable which is run through an aperture
in a stud,
the sleeve comprising:
a slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve so that the
sleeve
can receive the wire or cable;
an opening at each end of the sleeve to allow for entrance and exit of the
wire or
cable once received by the sleeve;
a bend line which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve and which
is
opposite the slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve;
and
an extending portion at each end of the sleeve which extends beyond each edge
of
the stud once the sleeve is installed in the aperture to protect the wire or
cable from
nails or screws which are driven in at the edge of the stud or that miss the
stud.
2. The sleeve of Claim 1, wherein the sleeve further comprises two anti-
rotation and
stop tabs which are oppositely inclined towards the middle of the sleeve and
located
away from each end of the sleeve and which protrude from the outer wall of the
sleeve to
prevent the sleeve from rotating within the aperture in the stud or sliding
through the
aperture once the sleeve is in place.
3. The sleeve of Claim 1, wherein the sleeve further comprises at least one
visual
positioning indicator located on an outer wall of the sleeve to aid in
positioning the
sleeve at the correct location within the aperture in the stud once the sleeve
is installed
on the wire or cable and inserted into the aperture in the stud.
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4. The sleeve of Claim 1, wherein the sleeve is made of an impact
resistant, high
strength metal or plastic material.
5. The sleeve of Claim 1, wherein the sleeve is stamped as a one-piece
assembly.
6. The sleeve of Claim 1, wherein the sleeve further comprises an anti-
rotation
embossment which is located towards the middle of the sleeve and protrudes
outward to
prevent rotation and slippage of the sleeve once the sleeve is installed in
the aperture.
7. The sleeve of Claim 1, wherein the bend line is weakened to allow the
sleeve to be
easily bent by hand compression at the bend line so that the sleeve can be
installed
around the wire or cable without the use of any hand tools.
8. The sleeve of Claim 7, wherein the bend line is weakened by being
perforated.
9. The sleeve of Claim 7, wherein the bend line is weakened by having a
reduced
material thickness compared to the rest of the sleeve.
10. A sleeve for protecting wire or cable which is run through an aperture
in a stud,
the sleeve comprising:
a slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve so that the
sleeve
can receive the wire or cable;
7

an opening at each end of the sleeve to allow for entrance and exit of the
wire or
cable once received by the sleeve;
an extending portion at each end of the sleeve which extends beyond each edge
of
the stud once the sleeve is installed in the aperture to protect the wire or
cable from
nails or screws which are driven in at the edge of the stud or that miss the
stud;
an anti-rotation embossment which is located towards the middle of the sleeve
and protrudes outward to prevent rotation and slippage of the sleeve once the
sleeve is
installed in the aperture;
a bend line which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve and which
is
opposite the slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve;
and
wherein the bend line is weakened to allow the sleeve to be easily bent by
hand
compression at the bend line so that the sleeve can be installed around the
wire or cable
without the use of any hand tools.
ii. The sleeve of Claim 10, wherein the sleeve further comprises at least
one visual
positioning indicator located on an outer wall of the sleeve to aid in
positioning the
sleeve at the correct location within the aperture in the stud once the sleeve
is installed
on the wire or cable and inserted into the aperture in the stud.
12. The sleeve of Claim 10, wherein the bend line is weakened by being
perforated.
13. The sleeve of Claim to, wherein the bend line is weakened by having a
reduced
material thickness compared to the rest of the sleeve.
8

14. The sleeve of Claim 10, wherein the sleeve is made of an impact
resistant, high
strength metal or plastic material.
15. The sleeve of Claim 10, wherein the sleeve is stamped as a one-piece
assembly.
16. A sleeve for protecting wire or cable which is run through an aperture
in a stud,
the sleeve comprising:
a slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve so that the
sleeve
can receive the wire or cable;
an opening at each end of the sleeve to allow for entrance and exit of the
wire or
cable once received by the sleeve;
an extending portion at each end of the sleeve which extends beyond each edge
of
the stud once the sleeve is installed in the aperture to protect the wire or
cable from
nails or screws which are driven in at the edge of the stud or that miss the
stud;
an integral nail which protrudes from the outer wall of the sleeve to prevent
the
sleeve from sliding through the aperture once the sleeve is in place or
rotating within the
aperture in the stud;
a bend line which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve and which
is
opposite the slit which runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve;
and
wherein the bend line is weakened to allow the sleeve to be easily bent by
hand
compression at the bend line so that the sleeve can be installed around the
wire or cable
without the use of any hand tools.
9

17. The sleeve of Claim 16, wherein the sleeve is stamped as a one-piece
assembly.
18. The sleeve of Claim 16, where in the sleeve further comprises at least
one visual
positioning indicator located on an outer wall of the sleeve to aid in
positioning the
sleeve at the correct location within the aperture in the stud once the sleeve
is installed
on the wire or cable and inserted into the aperture in the stud.
19. The sleeve of Claim 16, wherein the sleeve is made of an impact
resistant, high
strength metal or plastic material.

Description

CA 02818832 2013-06-13
A Sleeve For Protecting Wire Or Cable
Field of the Invention
[ow] In general, the present invention relates to a sleeve for protecting wire
or cable
which is run through an aperture in a stud. The sleeve comprises a slit which
runs
longitudinally along the length of the sleeve to accept the wire or cable, an
extended
portion of the sleeve that extends beyond the stud once the sleeve is
installed in the
stud, and a weakened bend line that allows the sleeve to be closed around the
wire or
cable by hand compression without the use of any hand tools.
Background
[002] In residential and commercial construction, wires and cables are often
run
through studs which are used for framing homes and buildings. When the walls
are put
in place, nails or screws may enter the studs and pierce the wires or cables.
An
improved method of protection is needed for wires and cables running through
studs
which provides an easy installation for the installer and which can be
installed
simultaneously with the wires and cables.
Summary of the Invention
[003] The present invention provides a sleeve for protecting cable or wire
which is run
through an aperture in a stud in residential or commercial construction. The
sleeve is
constructed so that no tools are required to install it on wire or cable. A
slit which runs
longitudinally along the length of the sleeve allows the sleeve to receive the
wire or
cable, and a weakened bend line which is located opposite the slit and which
also runs
longitudinally along the length of the sleeve allows the sleeve to easily
enclose around
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CA 02818832 2013-06-13
the wire or cable by hand compression, without the use of any hand tools. An
extended
portion on each end of the sleeve extends beyond the stud once the sleeve is
installed in
the stud in order to protect the wire or cable from nails or screws which are
accidentally
driven in along the edge of the stud.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[004] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a sleeve for protecting wire or
cable of the
present invention.
[005] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a sleeve for protecting wire or cable of
the present
invention.
[006] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a sleeve for protecting wire or cable of the
present
invention.
[007] FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the installation of a sleeve for
protecting wire
or cable of the present invention.
[008]FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the installation of a sleeve for
protecting wire or
cable of the present invention.
[009] FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the vertical installation of a
sleeve for
protecting wire or cable of the present invention.
[010] FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a sleeve
for
protecting wire or cable of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment(s)
[on] The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention
will now be discussed in the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments
2

CA 02818832 2013-06-13
and appended claims, which are to be considered in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings in which identical reference characters designate like elements
throughout the
views.
[012] Shown in FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the preferred embodiment
of a
sleeve for protecting wire or cable of the present invention. The sleeve may
be made of
an impact resistant, high strength metal material or plastic material, and it
may be
stamped as a one-piece assembly for ease of production. The sleeve 101
comprises a slit
117 for receiving a wire or cable, and a first opening 119 and second opening
121 which
allow for the entrance and exit of the wire or cable once it has been received
by the
sleeve lot. Also shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 are visual positioning
indicators 105.
These visual positioning indicators 105 are located on the outer surface of
the sleeve 101
and aid in positioning the sleeve at the correct location within an aperture
in a stud once
the sleeve has been installed on the wire or cable 115, as is clearly shown in
FIG. 5.
Although two visual positioning indicators 105 are shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5
and 7 as part
of the sleeve 101, it is understood that one or more visual positioning
indicators may be
used to achieve the same purpose.
[013] Also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are anti-rotation and stop tabs 107, which
comprise
a part of the sleeve 101. The stop tabs 107, which are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and
4, prevent
the sleeve from slipping out of the aperture in the stud after installation,
and also keep
the sleeve from rotating within the aperture, which prevents the slit 117,
mentioned in
the above paragraph, from rotating toward the face of the stud, therefore
preventing a
nail or screw which is driven into the stud from passing through the slit and
damaging
the wire or cable within the sleeve. The tabs 107 are oppositely angled
towards the
center of the sleeve w1, which allows for easy insertion of the sleeve 101
into the stud
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CA 02818832 2013-06-13
aperture 113, regardless of which side of the sleeve is received by the
aperture first.
From FIG. 4, it can be seen that the tabs 107 also catch on the outside of the
stud in
once the sleeve 101 has been fully inserted into the stud aperture 113. These
stop tabs
1137 prevent the sleeve from slipping out of the aperture in the stud once it
has been
inserted in the aperture. The anti-rotation and stop tabs 107 can also be used
to achieve
vertical installation of the sleeve lot around a cable 115 in a stud 111, as
is shown in FIG.
6, while preventing the sleeve from falling through the aperture in the stud
[014] A second anti-rotation feature is also shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. This
feature, the
anti-rotation embossment 108, acts as another means to ensure that rotation
and
slippage of the sleeve 101 is prevented once the sleeve is installed in the
stud aperture
113. It is understood that the anti-rotation embossment 108 may be used in
conjunction
with the anti-rotation and stop tabs 107 or as a stand-alone feature to
prevent rotation
and slippage of the sleeve 101.
[015] From FIGS. 4-6, it can be seen that once the sleeve 1191 has been fully
inserted
into the stud aperture 113, a portion 114 of the sleeve 101 extends beyond the
edge of the
stud 111 on each side. This extended portion 114 of the sleeve 101 serves to
further
protect the enclosed wire or cable 115 from damage against nails or screws
which are
driven into studs. It is not uncommon in construction when walls are being put
in place
that the nails or screws which are intended to be driven directly into studs
slightly miss
their target and are driven just along the edge of the stud. The extended
portion 114 of
the sleeve im allows for extra protection of the wire or cable 115 and
prevents nails or
screws which are driven along the edge of the stud from damaging the wire or
cable.
[016] Shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 7 is the weakened bend line 103 of the sleeve
101. FIG.
4 shows a cable 115 which has been received by the sleeve 101 through the slit
117 which
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CA 02818832 2015-07-17
runs longitudinally along the length of the sleeve. Once the cable 115 has
been received
by the sleeve 101, the sleeve can be easily bent by hand compression around
the cable
115, without the use of any hand tools, by means of the weakened bend line 103
which is
situated opposite the slit 117 on the sleeve 101 and which also runs
longitudinally along
the length of the sleeve 101. The bend line 103 may be weakened due to a
reduced
material thickness, a perforation, or any similar method which could cause the
bend line
to be weakened such that it enables the sleeve to be easily bent by hand along
the bend
line, thereby closing the slit 117 to enclose the sleeve around the wire or
cable 115.
[017] Finally, shown in FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of the sleeve for
protecting
wire or cable of the present invention. In this embodiment, an integral nail
109 is used
in place of the anti-rotation and stop tabs 107 which are shown in the other
figures.
Similar to the stop tabs 107, the integral nail 109 can serve the same purpose
as the tabs
to prevent rotation of the sleeve once inserted in an aperture in a stud, and
also to
prevent movement of the sleeve all the way through an aperture in a stud. Once
the
sleeve is installed onto the wire or cable and inserted into the aperture in
the stud, the
integral nail 109 can be driven into the stud to secure the sleeve in place.
[o181 Although the invention has been described in detail above, it is
expressly
understood that it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art
that the
invention may be modified. Various changes of form, design, or arrangement may
be
made to the invention. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the
preferred
embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest
interpretation
consistent with the description as a whole.

Representative Drawing