Conductive And Isolated 2-Shot Tube Clamp

• US 20100207001A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Bradley D., Wernert, Terri L., Hozdish, Michael E., Pilon, Roger E.
• Application Number:
  US12/370,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207001A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/230.400
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/1075 with two members, the two members being joined with a hinge on one side and fastened together on the other side
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/237 for two pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/035 in the form of specially adapted hangers or supports

Abstract

A clamp includes polymeric body portions connected by a living hinge. A retention section is each created in each body portion. Elastically deflectable material insert members have injection molded features adapted to engage to the retention sections. An electrically conductive material is included with the elastically deflectable material to render the clamp electrically conductive.

Claims

1. A clamp, comprising:

first and second body portions integrally connected by a living hinge;

first and second insert members individually coupled to one of the first and second body portions, the first and second insert members each being an elastically deflectable material; and

an electrically conductive material included with the elastically deflectable material of at least one of the first and second insert members to render the clamp electrically conductive.

2. The clamp of claim 1, wherein when the first and second body portions are rotated to a closed position about the living hinge at least one engagement aperture is created between the first and second insert members adapted to releasably engage a service member such that a static electrical charge of the service member is transferred into the first and second insert members.

3. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising:

an engagement arm extending from the first body portion; and

a deflectable engagement tongue extending from the second body portion;

wherein the first body portion is releasably coupled to the second body portion by engagement between the engagement arm and the deflectable tongue when the first and second body portions are rotated about the living hinge to a closed position.

4. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising:

a retaining member extending from one of the first and second body portions proximate to the living hinge; and

a hinge engagement portion of the other one of the first and second body portions;

wherein when the first and second body portions are rotated about the living hinge to a closed position the retaining member extends over the hinge engagement portion preventing release of the first body portion from the second body portion upon subsequent failure of the living hinge.

5. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises a plurality of metal strands embedded in at least one of the first and second insert members.

6. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises a plurality of carbon fibers embedded in at least one of the first and second insert members.

7. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising first and second retention sections each created in one of the first and second body portions, wherein the first and second retention sections each include:

an engagement flange adapted to contact a flange receiving surface of one of the first and second body portions; and

a plurality of engagement fingers individually adapted to be frictionally received in individual ones of a plurality of finger receiving bores of the first and second body portions.

8. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising first and second retention sections each created in one of the first and second body portions, wherein the first and second retention sections each include a plurality of raised splines, the raised splines adapted to elastically deflect to contact a service member received in an aperture defined between the first and second retention sections when the first and second body portions are rotated about the living hinge to a closed position.

9. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising a clamp mounting section including:

a flange adapted to contact a substantially flat panel;

a receiving aperture adapted to receive a fastener inserted through the panel; and

a frictional engagement device positioned within the receiving aperture adapted to engage the fastener to couple the clamp to the panel.

10. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material is included in at least one of the first and second body portions.

11. A clamp, comprising:

polymeric first and second body portions integrally connected by a living hinge;

first and second retention sections each individually created in one of the first and second body portions;

first and second insert members having injection molded features adapted to engage the first insert member to one of the first and second retention sections and the second insert member to the other one of the first and second retention sections, the first and second insert members each being an elastically deflectable material; and

an electrically conductive material included with the elastically deflectable material of the first and second insert members to render the clamp electrically conductive.

12. The clamp of claim 11, wherein:

the first body portion includes semi-circular shaped first and second retention cavities;

the second body portion includes semi-circular shaped third and fourth retention cavities;

wherein the third retention cavity is aligned with the first retention cavity and the fourth retention cavity is aligned with the second retention cavity when the first and second body portions are rotated about the living hinge to a closed position.

13. The clamp of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second insert members includes insert portions adapted to be received in one of the first, second, third, or fourth retention cavities.

14. The clamp of claim 12, wherein in the closed position the third retention cavity aligned with the first retention cavity defines a first engagement aperture and the fourth retention cavity aligned with the second retention cavity defines a second engagement aperture, the first and second retention cavities having parallel longitudinal axes.

15. The clamp of claim 11, wherein the first insert member includes first and second insert portions and the second insert member includes third and fourth insert members.

16. The clamp of claim 15, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth insert portions includes:

a radial flange having a tubular body extending from the radial flange; and

the injection molded features include a plurality of engagement fingers extending parallel to the tubular body and separated from the tubular body by a dividing cavity.

17. The clamp of claim 16, wherein the first and second body portions each include a plurality of finger receiving apertures adapted to frictionally receive individual ones of the plurality of engagement fingers.

18. The clamp of claim 11, when the first and second body portions are rotated about the living hinge to a closed position the first and second insert members are separated by a clearance gap.

19. The clamp of claim 11, further comprising:

an engagement arm extending from the first body portion; and

a deflectable engagement tongue extending from the second body portion;

wherein the first body portion is releasably coupled to the second body portion by engagement between the engagement arm and the deflectable tongue when the first and second body portions are rotated about the living hinge to a closed position.

20. A method for manufacturing a clamp, the clamp having first and second body portions integrally connected by a living hinge, and first and second insert members, the method comprising:

adding an electrically conductive material to a polymeric material to create a first base material;

molding the first and second body portions together with the living hinge from the first base material;

adding the electrically conductive material to an elastically deflectable material to create a second base material; and

co-molding the first and second retention sections from the second base material in a two-shot molding process to join the first insert member to the first body portion and the second insert member to the second body portion.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising extending fingers from each of the first and second insert members to couple the first insert member to to one of the first and second retention sections and the second insert member to the other one of the first and second retention sections.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising co-molding a plurality of raised splines in each of the first and second insert members adapted to deflect when a service member is received between the first and second insert members with the clamp in a closed position.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising extending a hook-shaped retaining member from one of the first and second body portions adapted to be received in an aperture of the other one of the first and second body portions when the clamp is in a closed position such that the retaining member prevents release of the first and second body portions from the closed position.