Service line clamp with cable tie mount

• US 5,941,483 A
• Filed: 04/24/1998
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volvo Trucks North America Incorporated (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Trucks North America Incorporated (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Baginski, Frank T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Application Number:
  US09/066,746
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 248/68.1, 248/49, 248/74.4, 411/431, 411/377, 411/396, 411/970, 411/999
• US Class Current: 248/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/22 specially adapted for supporting a number of parallel pipes at intervals
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/2235 each pipe being supported by a common element fastened to the base
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/237 for two pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/999 with retainer, e.g. tether

Abstract

A clamp having two like members for securing service lines and cables to the frame of a motor vehicle. Service lines are secured between the members. The members are fixed together by a nut and bolt with each held in an associated member recess by an associated tension tab. The tension tabs permit any nut and bolt within a range of sizes to be used. At least one of the members has an external saddle formed in a surface which is an external surface when the clamp is in use. The saddle is used to carry additional service lines held in place by a self sizing tie.

Claims

1. A clamp for mounting a service line to a support structure, the clamp comprising:

a) a pair of service line locating members each having at least one service line engaging surface;

b) the surfaces being in a complemental position for retaining engagement with a service line when the members are secured together in facing relationship and the clamp is in use;

c) at least one of the members including an external saddle formed in another surface which is an external surface when the clamp is in use, the saddle being contoured for surface engagement with an additional service line said one member also including a slot for receiving and engaging a self-sizing cable tie to retain such an additional service line against the saddle; and

d) a connector to releaseably couple said members together.

2. The clamp of claim 1, wherein said connector includes a nut and bolt.

3. The clamp of claim 1, wherein each of said members are formed from a material which is an electric insulator.

4. The clamp of claim 3, wherein said material is a high strength fiber filled nylon.

5. The clamp of claim 1, wherein each of the service line engaging surfaces includes at least one alignment pin and at least one alignment pin receiving receptacle such that each said at least one alignment pin of one member aligns one said at least one receptacle on the other member to prevent the clamp from twisting during assembly and use whereby to allow tightening of the connectors without holding either member against relative rotation of the members.

6. The clamp of claim 1, wherein each of the members includes a saddle adapted to be positionable to enable a plurality of additional service lines to be mounted on the external surface of each of the members.

7. The clamp of claim 1, wherein each of the members has a recessed nut or bolt head cavity formed in the external surface of the first member.

8. The clamp of claim 7, wherein the tensioning surface tab is adapted to be deformable to accommodate nuts and bolts of a range of sizes.

9. The clamp of claim 8, wherein at least one of the recessed cavities has a tensioning surface tab for interference with such bolt head or nut positioned in such one cavity to hold such bolt head or nut in said one cavity to facilitate assembly of clamp.

10. A clamp member for use with a like member to secure a service line in place, the member comprising:

a) a molded body having a line engaging surface for coaction with a like surface to retain a service line in a selected position;

b) the body including a through fastener bore;

c) the body also including a fastener receiving recess in an external surface in axial communicating alignment with the bore, the recess being defined in part by a plurality of generally flat fastener engagement surfaces for rotation preventing engagement with a fastener element; and

,

d) the member including a flexible tensioning tab projecting into the fastener recess for retaining engagement with such fastener element when such element is in the recess.

11. The fastener of claim 10, wherein the flat fastener engagement surfaces define a hexagonal fastener recesses.

12. The fastener of claim 11, wherein the outer surfaces each include a saddle for engagement with a further service line and the members each include a through slot for receipt of a flexible strap to maintain such further line in engagement with the saddle.

13. For use in anchoring service lines in preselected positions, an improved service line clamp comprising:

a) a pair of like members of molded electrically insulating material;

b) each of the members including;

i) a through bore extending from an outer surface to a facing surface;

ii) the facing surface including spaced line engaging recesses disposed symmetrically on opposite sides of an imaginary transverse plane including an axis of said bore;

iii) the facing surface also including a pair of locating recesses and a pair of locating projections for coacting receipt in locating recesses of a like member;

iv) the outer surface including a fastener receiving recess in axially aligned communication with the bore, the fastener recess being defined in part by a perimetral wall including a plurality of flat fastener engaging surfaces; and

,

v) a flexible fastener engaging element projecting into the fastener recess for retentive engagement of a fastener;

c) a bolt extending through the bores of the like members with the facing surfaces being in confronting relationship and the locating projections of one of the members disposed in the locating recesses of the other of the members and visa versa;

d) a nut threaded onto the bolt; and

,

e) a selected one of a head of the bolt and the nut being disposed when in use in one of the fastener recesses with surfaces of the selected one biased by the flexible element against at least two said flat surfaces; and

,

f) the unselected one of the bolt head and nut being spaced from the other of the fastener recesses when in use by an apertured member disposed around a shank of the bolt.

14. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the flat surfaces define a hexagonal fastener recesses.

15. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the outer surfaces each include a saddle for engagement with a further service line and the members each include a through slot for receipt of a flexible strap to maintain such further line in engagement with the saddle.

16. For use in anchoring service lines in preselected positions, an improved service line clamp component comprising:

a) a molded member of electrically insulating material;

b) the member including;

i) a through bore extending from an outer surface to a facing surface;

ii) the facing surface including spaced line engaging recesses disposed symmetrically on opposite sides of an imaginary transverse plane including an axis of said bore;

iii) the facing surface also including a pair of locating recesses and a pair of locating projections for coacting receipt in locating recesses of a like member;

iv) the outer surface including a fastener receiving recess in axially aligned communication with the bore, the fastener recess being defined in part by a perimetral wall including a plurality of flat fastener engaging surfaces; and

,

v) a flexible fastener engaging element projecting into the fastener recess for retentive engagement of a a selected one of a bolt head and a nut.

17. The component of claim 16, wherein the flat surfaces define a hexagonal fastener recess.

18. The component of claim 17, wherein the outer surface includes a saddle for engagement with a further service line and the member includes a through slot for receipt of a flexible strap to maintain such further line in engagement with the saddle.