Conduit clamp

• US 5,893,538 A
• Filed: 01/21/1997
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Masakatsu Onishi, Yoshio Onishi
• Original Assignee: Masakatsu Onishi, Yoshio Onishi
• Inventors: Onishi, Masakatsu, Onishi, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Dexter, Clark F.
• Application Number:
  US08/785,573
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 248/68.1, 248/72, 248/73, 248/74.1, 248/74.3, 248/58, 248/222.52, 248/65, 411/84, 411/85
• US Class Current: 248/65
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/2431 the special member being inserted and subsequently rotated to a limited extent
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/263 Installation, e.g. suspension, of conduit channels or other supports

Abstract

A clamping device for clamping a conduit to a channel rail, comprising a main unit with a retainer section of which the shape fits the sectional form of the conduit, a screw member and a buckle. Just pushing the screw member axially causes abutments of the buckle to be engaged on the channel rail and thus the conduit is fixed to the channel rail at least provisionally. The abutments of the buckle are made to engage the channel rail just when the screw member is pushed axially by holding the buckle in a predetermined direction in the main body until the screw member is pushed axially, rotating the buckle when the buckle is released from the held state so that the abutments are positioned under the lower ends of a pair of inlet-opening walls defining together an inlet opening of the channel rail, and drawing the buckle in the direction of the head of the screw member while the abutments are kept positioned under the lower ends of the pair of walls.

Claims

1. A device for clamping a conduit having a curvature to a channel rail, said channel rail comprising a web having respective sides, a pair of flanges, each flange extending from a respective side of said web and having an upper end, a pair of top walls extending inwardly from said respective upper ends of said flanges, said pair of top walls having respective bottom faces and terminating so as to form an inlet opening therebetween having a first width (W₁), said device comprising a main body having a retainer section and a seat section, said seat section having an aperture;

a screw member positioned in said aperture and having a head and a threaded body;

a buckle mounted on said screw member, said main body comprising holding means for releasably holding the buckle in a predetermined direction and below said seat section, and said buckle comprising, said longitudinal end parts forming base and longitudinal end parts as channel rail engaging means for engaging said pair of top walls of said channel rail and at least provisionally fixing said conduit to said channel rail, said engaging means comprising a pair of abutments extending upwardly from said base; and

rotating means for rotating said buckle when said buckle is released from said holding means so that said abutments are positioned under a respective bottom face of said pair of top walls of the channel rail, said rotating means further for drawing said buckle in the direction of said seat section so that said abutments are kept positioned under the respective bottom face of said pair of top walls.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said seat section is contiguous with said retainer section, said seat section having lateral bent walls which form said holding means for holding said buckle;

and wherein said rotating means comprises an elastic member having a first end and a second end, said first end being coupled to said seat section and said second end being coupled to said buckle, the elastic member being wound up when said buckle is turned through a predetermined angle and fitted between said lateral bent walls.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said elastic member is a coil spring having a coil portion through which said threaded body of said screw member is extends, said first end of said elastic member coupled to said seat section being contiguous from said coil portion and said second end coupled to said buckle being coupled to a portion of said buckle other than said abutments.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said elastic member is a tension spring having a coil portion spirally enclosing said threaded body of said screw member, said first end of said elastic member coupled to said seat section being contiguous from said coil portion and said second end coupled to said buckle being coupled to a portion of said buckle other than said abutments.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 or 4, wherein the spring is coupled by welding, bonding or hooking.

6. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of said buckle is fitted in between said lateral bent walls of said seat section.

7. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said seat section has opposite sides, and wherein the retainer section is provided on either of said opposite sides.

8. A device as set forth in any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said main body has a foot section contiguous from said retainer section and said foot section has an engagement portion for engaging the channel rail.

9. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said seat section is contiguous from said retainer section, and said aperture of said seat section is a guide hole, and wherein said threaded body has a middle;

and wherein said rotating means comprises an elastic member interposed between said seat section and said head of said screw member for lifting said buckle, and said rotating means further comprises said screw member having a rotation lead section provided in said middle of said threaded body.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said rotation lead section has a plurality of teeth.

11. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said rotation lead section is a multiple-thread screw.

12. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said rotation lead section is a torsion bar having a polygonal section.

13. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said elastic member is a coil spring.

14. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said main body has a foot section contiguous from said retainer section, said foot section having a foot section base, wherein said foot section has formed at said foot section base thereof an engagement portion for engaging the channel rail.

15. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said main body holds a plurality of conduits.

16. A device as set forth in claim 15, wherein said retainer section has a curved portion on either side thereof and a straight portion connecting the curved portions, and wherein there is formed on said straight portion at least a set of projections having concave circular faces.

17. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said top walls defining said inlet opening of said channel rail are selected from the group consisting of walls extending in a vertical direction with respect to said web, walls extending in an oblique direction with respect to said web, and walls horizontal with respect to said web.

18. A device for clamping a conduit to a channel rail, comprising in combination, said device and wherein said conduit is positioned substantially perpendicularly to said channel rail, said channel rail comprising a web having respective sides, a pair of flanges, each flange extending from a respective one of said sides of said web, said flanges being separated from one another by a first distance (W₂) and having respective upper ends, and top walls extending inwardly from said respective upper ends, said top walls terminating so as to form an inlet opening therebetween having a second distance (W₁);

said device comprising;

a main body and a buckle attached to said main body by a screw member and a spring disposed about said screw member, said buckle being rotatable with respect to said main body;

said buckle having a width (W) smaller than said second distance (W₁) and a length (L) larger than said second distance (W₁) but smaller than said first distance (W₂);

said buckle having a middle and a screw hole in said middle thereof, said buckle comprising a base having lateral sides extending from said lateral sides and forming longitudinal end portions;

a pair of abutments at each end of said base; and

a pair of projections extending from said lateral sides of said base, said pair of projections being higher than said abutments so as to form symmetrical stop faces therebetween;

said main body comprising a foot section having a portion engaging said walls of said channel rail, a retainer section contiguous from said foot section for holding said conduit, and a seat section extending from said retainer section, said seat section having lateral bent walls which cooperate with said pair of projections for releasably holding said buckle so as to be longitudinally parallel to the inlet opening of the channel rail, said seat section having a through-hole through which said screw member extends and is screwed into said screw hole in said buckle;

and

said spring having a first end and a second end and being disposed between said seat section and said buckle, said spring member being coupled at said first end thereof to said seat section and at said second end thereof to said buckle, whereupon said spring, when being twisted, lifts said buckle and provides rotation to said buckle.