Vibration suppressing clamp for pipe or the like

• US 7,207,528 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kato, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): STERLING, AMY JO
• Application Number:
  US10/929,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20050045775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 248/68.1, 248/73, 248/74.1, 248/74.2, 248/55, 248/71
• US Class Current: 248/55
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/13 and engaging it by snap action F16L3/1203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/223 each support having one transverse base for supporting the pipes F16L3/23, F16L3/237 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/035 in the form of specially adapted hangers or supports

Abstract

A vibration suppressing clamp for pipe or the like comprises a base supporting a pipe holder with a space for accommodating a pipe to be held. The space is defined by a curved seat and a pair of walls extending from the seat. At least one of the walls is flexible, has a piece at a tip portion for holding a pipe in the space, and is spaced from an adjacent rigid wall. A vibration suppression member covers the seat and adjacent portions of each flexible wall and fills at least a portion of the space between the flexible wall and the adjacent rigid wall. The seat and the base have holes into which deformed portions of the vibration suppression member can retract in response to an impact on a pipe in the pipe holder.

Claims

1. A vibration suppressing clamp for holding an elongated object, comprising:

a base; and

an object holder supported by the base, wherein

the object holder comprises a seat integral with the base, and a pair of walls that extend from side edges of the seat along a direction away from the base, to form a space for accommodating the object in cooperation with the seat, the seat has a hole or holes that extend from the seat and entirely through the base along an opposite direction, and the seat and portions of the walls adjacent to the seat are covered by a vibration suppression member.

7. The vibration suppressing clamp recited in claim 1, wherein the seat is formed as a curved surface.

8. The vibration suppressing clamp recited in claim 1, wherein a securing unit is provided on the base for securing the clamp to a vehicle body.

2. A vibration suppressing clamp for holding an elongated object, comprising:

a base; and

an object holder supported by the base, wherein

the object holder comprises a seat integral with the base, and a pair of walls that extend from side edges of the seat along a direction away from the base, to form a space for accommodating the object in cooperation with the seat, the seat has a hole or holes formed therein, and the seat and portions of the walls adjacent to the seat are covered by a vibration suppression member, wherein at least one of the walls is a flexible wall capable of flexing relative to the object accommodating space, and the flexible wall has on a tip portion thereof a holding piece, extending toward the object accommodating space, for pressing a side surface of the object accommodated in that space.

3. A vibration suppressing clamp for holding an elongated object, comprising:

a base; and

an object holder supported by the base, wherein

the object holder comprises a seat integral with the base, and a pair of walls that extend from side edges of the seat, to form a space for accommodating the object in cooperation with the seat, the seat has a hole or holes formed therein, and the seat and portions of the walls adjacent to the seat are covered by a vibration suppression member, wherein at least one of the walls is a flexible wall capable of flexing relative to the object accommodating space, and the flexible wall has on a tip portion thereof a holding piece, extending toward the object accommodating space, for pressing a side surface of the object accommodated in that space, and wherein the seat has first ribs extending in the longitudinal direction of the object and second ribs crossing the first ribs, and the hole or holes are formed in a portion or portions of the seat where the first ribs and the second ribs are absent.

4. The vibration suppressing clamp recited in claim 3, wherein the base has third ribs which cross the first ribs in a portion continuous with the seat, and the hole or holes extend into a portion or portions of the base where the third ribs are absent.

5. A vibration suppressing clamp for holding an elongated object, comprising:

a base; and

an object holder supported by the base, wherein

the object holder comprises a seat integral with the base, and a pair of walls that extend from side edges of the seat along a direction away from the base, to form a space for accommodating the object in cooperation with the seat, the seat has a hole or holes formed therein, and the seat and portions of the walls adjacent to the seat are covered by a vibration suppression member, wherein at least one of the walls is a flexible wall and the base has a rigid wall spaced from the flexible wall and connected with the flexible wall by a coupling piece, and the vibration suppression member occupies at least a portion of the space between the flexible wall and the rigid wall and embeds the coupling piece.

6. The vibration suppressing clamp recited in claim 5, wherein the base, the seat, and the walls are formed as a primary molding.

9. A vibration suppressing clamp for holding an elongated object, comprising:

a base; and

an object holder supported by the base, wherein the object holder comprises a seat integral with the base, and a pair of walls that extend from side edges of the seat, to form a space for accommodating the object in cooperation with the seat, at least one of the walls is a flexible wall and the base has a rigid wall spaced from the flexible wall, the flexible wall is capable of flexing relative to the object accommodating space and relative to the space between the flexible wall and the rigid wall, the flexible wall has on a tip portion thereof a holding piece, extending toward the object accommodating space, for pressing a side surface of the object accommodated in that space, the seat and portions of the flexible wall adjacent to the seat are covered by a vibration suppression member, and a space between the flexible wall and the rigid wall is at least partially filled by the vibration suppression member.

10. The vibration suppressing clamp recited in claim 9, wherein the flexible wall is connected to the rigid wall by a coupling piece that is covered by the vibration suppression member.