FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to devices for supporting cables and, in particular, to hangers for securing cables to support structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cable hangers are commonly used to secure cables to structural members of antenna towers and or along tunnel walls. Generally, each cable is attached to a structural member by cable hangers mounted at periodically-spaced attachment points.

Antenna towers and or tunnels may be crowded due to the large numbers of cables required for signal-carrying. Over time, as systems are added, upgraded and/or expanded, installation of additional cables may be required. To conserve space, it may be desirable for each set of cable hangers to secure more than a single cable. Certain cable hangers have been constructed to secure multiple cables; other cable hangers have a stackable construction that permits multiple cable hangers to be interlocked extending outwardly from each mounting point/structural member. Stacked and multiple-cable hangers significantly increase the number of cables mountable to a single attachment point.

One popular stackable cable hanger is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,836 to Korczak, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Hangers disclosed therein have generally a U- or C-shaped profile with rounded arms. A locking projection extends from the free end of each arm, and the “root” of the hanger that spans the fixed ends of the arms has a large aperture. The hanger can hold a cable between the arms; gripping of the cable is enhanced by short fingers that extend inwardly from the arms to engage the cable. Hangers can be “stacked” onto each other by inserting the locking projections of one hanger into the large aperture of the next hanger.

One variety of cable hanger of this type is the SNAP-STAK®, hanger, available from CommScope, Inc. (Joliet, Ill.). The SNAP-STAK® hanger is offered in multiple sizes that correspond to the outer diameters of different cables. This arrangement has been suitable for use with coaxial power cables, which tend to be manufactured in only a few different outer diameters. Modified versions of these hangers are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/081,177, filed Mar. 25, 2016 (and hereby incorporated herein by reference); these arrangements may be more desirable for fiber optic cables, which tend to be manufactured in a much greater variety of diameters, and which tend to be much heavier than coaxial cables (sometimes as much as three times heavier per unit foot), which induces greater load and stress on the hangers.

It may be desirable to provide additional cable hanger designs, particularly for different cable sizes.

SUMMARY

As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base. Hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms. Each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section. The arms form a gap configured to receive and grasp a cable. The cable hanger is a unitary member formed of a polymeric material.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms. Each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section. The base includes two arcuate slots, each of the slots adjacent a fixed end of a respective first or second arm.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base, wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms. Stops are located on each of the first and second arms and extend generally perpendicularly to the arms, and a brace extends between the base and each of the stops. The cable hanger is a unitary component formed of a polymeric material.

