Wire bundle support system

• US 7,654,492 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Balderama, Mark, Holum, Thomas A., Lay, Lenny E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marsh; Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/838,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: 248/68.1, 248/74.3, 248/74.2, 248/74.4, 248/74.5, 248/58, 248/65, 248/72, 248/73, 248/49, 248/75, 248/77
• US Class Current: 248/72
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/406 in combination with supports for lines, e.g. for pipes or cables
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/23 for a bundle of pipes or a plurality of pipes placed side by side in contact with each other F16L3/237 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/243 the special member being inserted in the profiled girder
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A support system for an elongate object comprising an elongate support bar, a tower member, and a stackable riser for securing the elongate object to the tower member.

Claims

1. A support system for an elongate object, the system comprising:

an elongate support bar defining a length;

a tower member that is releasably secured to the elongate support bar, the tower member including a member designed for contacting and adjusting along the length of the support bar such that the tower member can be secured to the elongate support bar at a plurality of positions along the length of the elongate support bar, and the tower member having a base and a post extending therefrom, the post defining;

a stackable riser having a member for releasably securing the stackable riser to the post at a plurality of positions along the length of the post, wherein the stackable riser has at least one support arm extending away from the post and designed to support the elongate object; and

a support bar locking device having an anchor member, a first connector member, and a second connector member, the first and second connector members being designed to releasably secure the support bar therebetween and to releasably secure the support bar to the anchor member.

2. A support system according to claim 1, wherein the stackable riser has at least one support arm extending away from the post of the tower member and an attachment member that is spaced away from the at least one support arm to define a recess therebetween, the recess sized to receive a securing device to secure the elongate object to the stackable riser.

3. A support system according to claim 1, wherein the support bar includes opposing sides, and the tower member includes corresponding sides extending from the base and designed to fit over the opposing sides of the support bar for preventing rotational movement of the tower member about the support bar.

4. A support system according to claim 1, wherein the support bar includes opposing sides and defines a plurality of openings spaced along its length, and the tower member includes corresponding sides designed to fit over the opposing sides of the support bar, the tower member also including a tab extending from the base thereof, the tab designed for registering in a selected one of the plurality of openings defined by the support bar.

6. A support system according to claim 1, wherein the support bar has opposing sides defining respective lower side edges, and the tower member has corresponding opposing sides that extend beyond the lower side edges of the support bar and include respective clip edges designed to engage the lower side edges of the support bar for releasably securing the tower member to the support bar.

5. A support system for an elongate object, the system comprising:

an elongate support bar defining a length, wherein the support bar includes opposing sides and defines a plurality of openings spaced along its length;

a tower member that is releasably secured to the elongate support bar, the tower member including a member designed for contacting and adjusting along the length of the support bar such that the tower member can be secured to the elongate support bar at a plurality of positions along the length of the elongate support bar, and the tower member having a base and a post extending therefrom, the post defining a length, wherein the tower member includes corresponding sides designed to fit over the opposing sides of the support bar, the tower member also including a tab extending from the base thereof, the tab designed for registering in a selected one of the plurality of openings defined by the support bar;

a stackable riser having a member for releasably securing the stackable riser to the post at a plurality of positions along the length of the post; and

a clip that extends through the sides of the tower member to at least partially secure the tower member to the support bar.

7. A support system for an elongate object, the system comprising:

an elongate support bar;

a tower member that is releasably secured to the elongate support bar, the tower member having a base and a post extending from the base in a direction away from the support bar, the post having a length and defining a finite plurality of distinct registration positions along the length of the post that define a finite plurality of distinct registration points; and

a stackable riser defining a registration member designed to engage the post at each of the registration positions of the post such that the riser is configured to be releasably secured to the post at a select one of the plurality of registration positions along the length of the post, the stackable riser designed to engage and secure the elongate object to the support system, wherein the stackable riser has at least one support arm extending away from the post and designed to support the elongate object.

8. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the stackable riser includes an attachment member for supporting the elongate object.

9. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the stackable riser includes an attachment member that is spaced away from the at least one support arm and defines a recess therebetween, the recess sized to receive a securing device to secure the elongate object to the stackable riser.

10. A support system according to claim 7, further comprising a support bar locking device having an anchor member, a first connector member, and a second connector member, the first and second connector members being designed to releasably secure the support bar therebetween and to releasably secure the support bar to the anchor member.

11. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the support bar includes opposing sides, and the tower member includes corresponding sides extending from the base and designed to fit over the opposing sides of the support bar for preventing rotational movement of the tower member about the support bar.

12. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the support bar defines a plurality of openings spaced along its length, and the tower member includes a tab extending from the base thereof, the tab designed for registering in a selected one of the plurality of openings defined by the support bar.

13. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the tower member is at least partially secured to the support bar by a clip that extends through the base of the tower member.

14. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the support bar includes opposing sides and defines a plurality of openings spaced along its length, and the tower member includes corresponding sides designed for slidably engaging the sides of the support bar, the tower member also including a tab extending from the base thereof, the tab designed for registering in a selected one of the plurality of openings defined by the support bar.

15. A support system according to claim 14, further comprising a clip that extends through the sides of the tower member to at least partially secure the tower member to the support bar.

16. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the support bar has opposing sides defining respective lower side edges, and the tower member has corresponding opposing sides that extend beyond the sides of the support bar and include respective grip edges designed to engage the lower side edges of the support bar for releasably securing the tower member to the support bar.

17. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the proximate end of the tower member post has a curved transition to the base of the tower member, the transition designed for supporting the elongate object.

18. A support system according to claim 17, further comprising at least one attachment member positioned adjacent the curved transition defined by the tower member post.

19. A support system according to claim 7, wherein the tower member defines a plurality of openings along the length thereof that define the plurality of positions for releasably securing the stackable riser to the post.

20. A support system according to claim 19, wherein the stackable riser includes a registration member designed to extend through at least one of the plurality of openings defined by the tower member post for releasably securing the stackable riser to the post.

21. A support system according to claim 20, wherein the stackable riser includes a bias member for biasing the registration member in an extended position.

22. A method of supporting an elongate object, the method including the steps of:

providing an elongate support bar defining a plurality of registration points spaced along a length of the elongate support bar;

releasably fixedly securing a tower member along a length of the support bar, the tower member having a base designed to engage the support bar and having a post extending from the base and defining a plurality of spaced registration positions along the post, and the tower member including a member designed for registering with a selected one of the plurality of registration points defined by the support bar such that the tower member can be secured to the elongate support bar at a plurality of positions along the length of the elongate support bar;

releasably securing a stackable riser at a selected one of the registration positions defined by the post of the tower member; and

securing the elongate object to at least one of the stackable riser and the tower member by providing the stackable riser with a support arm and an attachment member that is spaced away from the support arm of the stackable riser to define a recess therebetween, and wherein the securing step includes wrapping a securing device around the elongate object and the recess to secure the elongate object to the stackable riser.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the providing step includes providing a support channel defining a plurality of openings spaced along its length, and wherein the tower member securing step includes registering a tab extending from the base of the tower member in a selected one of the openings defined by the support channel.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the stackable riser securing step includes engaging a registration member with the tower member post at the selected one of the registration positions defined by the tower member post.

25. A method of supporting an elongate object, the method including the steps of:

providing an elongate support bar defining a plurality of registration points spaced along a length of the elongate support bar;

releasably fixedly securing a tower member along a length of the support bar, the tower member having a base designed to engage the support bar and having a post extending from the base and defining a plurality of spaced registration positions along the post, and the tower member including a member designed for registering with a selected one of the plurality of registration points defined by the support bar such that the tower member can be secured to the elongate support bar at a plurality of positions along the length of the elongate support bar;

releasably securing a stackable riser at a selected one of the registration positions defined by the post of the tower member; and

securing the elongate object to at least one of the stackable riser and the tower member, wherein the elongate object securing step includes providing the tower member with an attachment member that is adjacent to yet spaced away from the post of the tower member to define a recess therebetween, and wherein the securing step includes wrapping a securing device around the elongate object and the recess to secure the elongate object to the tower member.