Clamp for holding elongated article

• US 6,779,763 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nifco Incorporated, Vtec Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nifco Incorporated, Vtec Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawakami, Yasuaki, Miura, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US10/426,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20040007648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 248/71, 248/65, 248/67.5, 248/68.1, 248/74.1, 248/74.2, 248/74.5
• US Class Current: 248/71
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/13 and engaging it by snap action F16L3/1203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/22 specially adapted for supporting a number of parallel pipes at intervals
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/223 each support having one transverse base for supporting the pipes F16L3/23, F16L3/237 take precedence

Abstract

A clamp for holding an elongated article includes at least one clamp portion having an insertion concave portion for receiving the elongated article and at least one elastic stop member. The insertion concave portion has a pair of sidewalls along a longitudinal direction of the elongated article to be inserted. The elastic stop member has an upper end integrally joined to an upper portion of one sidewall constituting the insertion concave portion, and projects diagonally downward toward a bottom of the insertion concave portion. The clamp portion holds the elongated article such that a lower end of the elastic stop member elastically holds the elongated article at an insertion position.

Claims

1. A clamp for holding an elongated article, comprising:

at least one clamp portion including an insertion concave portion having a pair of sidewalls for receiving the elongated article therein and a bottom;

at least one elastic stop member having an upper end integrated with an upper portion of at least one of the pair of the sidewalls to form a bending portion, and a lower end, said at least one elastic stop member projecting diagonally downward toward the bottom of the insertion concave portion to form a holding space for holding the elongated article between the bottom and the lower end; and

at least one space formed at the bending portion joining the upper end of the elastic stop member and the sidewall, said lower end having a length greater than that of the bending portion except for the at least one space formed therein to thereby reduce a bending strength of the at least one elastic stop member at the bending portion.

2. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an attaching portion attached to the at least one clamp portion for attaching the clamp to an object to be attached.

3. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of clamp portions which are fixed parallel to each other.

4. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one elastic stop member is attached to each of said pair of the sidewalls, and said at least one space is formed at least at one of said bending portions joining the upper ends of the elastic stop members and the sidewalls.

5. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one clamp portion includes a plurality of elastic stop members attached to at least one of the sidewalls with a space therebetween, the lower end of at least one of said plurality of elastic stop members having a level different from that of the other elastic stop member.

6. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said space is formed of a notch provided at the bending portion joining the upper end of the elastic stop member and the sidewall without extending to the lower end.

7. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said space has an elongated shape extending along the side walls so that the elastic stop member is connected to the side wall at two portions spaced apart from each other and has lower sections forming a connection portion of two sections of the elastic stop member.

8. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one elastic stop member has a rigidity so that when the elongated article is inserted into the concave portion, the at least one elastic stop member bends at the bending portion and when the elongated article passes the at least one elastic stop member, the at least one elastic stop member returns to an original position to hold the elongated article in the concave portion.

9. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one space is a hole completely surrounded by a periphery thereof.