Wire-and-tube-retaining pole clip

• US 5,316,247 A
• Filed: 07/01/1992
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Wodka, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidel, Richard K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOODS, RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US07/907,156
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 248/68.1, 248/72, 248/73, 248/231.8
• US Class Current: 248/73
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/06 with supports for wires
• 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

Abstract

A pole clip for arranging wires and/or tubing around the circumference of a pole. The clip comprises a resilient, flexible, generally C-shaped body adapted for a snap fit on the pole, and at least one resiliently-flexible arcuate arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body. The arm defines an arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the arm. The wire-and-tube-retaining area is concentric with the C-shaped body, and is configured to visibly retain wires and/or tubes in side-by-side relationship around the pole. The arm has a free end closely spaced from another portion of the clip such that wires and/or tubes can be manually introduced into or released from the wire-and-tube-retaining area by flexing the arcuate arm but the arm normally retains the wires and/or tubes.

Claims

1. A pole clip for arranging wires and/or tubing around the circumference of a pole, the clip comprising:

a resilient, flexible, generally C-shaped, generally arcuate body configured for a snap fit on the pole;

at least one resiliently-flexible arcuate first arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body; and

at least one arcuate second arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body;

the first and second arms defining an elongate, arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the arms, the wire-and-tube-retaining area being concentric with the C-shaped body and being elongate and arcuate to receive a plurality of wires and/or tubes such that the wires and/or tubes are visibly retained in side-by-side relationship around the pole, each arm having a free end closely spaced from the free end of the other arm such that wires and/or tubes are allowed to be manually introduced into or released from the wire-and-tube-retaining area by flexing the first arm but the arms normally retain the wires and/or tubes, the second arm defining an area for accommodating a wire or tube immediately after being pushed into the wire-and-tube-retaining area by flexing the first arm toward the C-shaped body.

2. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the second arm has a length of approximately one-half the length of the first arm, the first arm being substantially more flexible than the second arm.

3. A clip according to claim 1 further comprising one or more additional resiliently-flexible arcuate first arms extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body, and one or more additional arcuate second arms extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body, the additional arcuate first and second arms defining additional elongate, arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area(s) between the C-shaped body and the additional arms, each additional first and second arm having a free end closely spaced from the free end of the other of said additional first and second arms such that wires and/or tubes are allowed to be introduced into or released from the wire-and-tube-retaining area defined by said additional first and second arms by flexing at least one of said additional first and second arms.

4. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped body is substantially stiffer than the first arm.

5. A clip according to claim 4 wherein the arms each have a cross-sectional area, and the C-shaped body has a cross-sectional area approximately 150-250 percent larger than the cross-sectional area of either arm, the C-shaped body and the arms being integrally molded of thermoplastic or thermoset material.

6. A clip according to claim 5 wherein the material of the C-shaped body and the arms includes material selected from the group of acetal co-polymer and polycarbonate resin.

7. A clip according to claim 1 further comprising first and second radially extending bridging portions extending generally radially outwardly from the C-shaped body, the first and second arms extending in generally concentric relationship with the C-shaped body from the radially outward ends of the first and second bridging portions, respectively, the bridging portions defining a width of the wire-and-tube-retaining area.

8. A clip according to claim 7 wherein the C-shaped body, the arms and the bridging portions are integrally molded of thermoplastic or thermoset material.

9. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped body extends along an arc of greater than approximately 180 degrees up to approximately 360 degrees.

10. A clip according to claim 9 wherein the C-shaped body extends along an arc of approximately 270 degrees.

11. A system for conveniently organizing wires and/or tubes around a pole, the system comprising:

a generally cylindrical pole;

a plurality of elongate members, and

a clip comprising a resilient, flexible, generally C-shaped body configured for a snap fit on the pole, and at least one resiliently-flexible arcuate arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body, the arm defining an elongate, arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the arm, the wire-and-tube retaining area being concentric with the C-shaped body and closely receiving the elongate members such that the elongate members are visibly retained in side-by-side concentric relationship around the pole, the arm having a free end closely spaced from another portion of the clip such that elongate members are allowed to be manually introduced into or released from the wire-and-tube-retaining area by flexing the arm and the arm normally retains the elongate members.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the arm constitutes a first arm, the clip further comprising a second arcuate arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body and having a free end closely spaced from the free end of the first arm to further define the wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the first and second arms.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein the second arm has a length of approximately one-half the length of the first arm, the first arm being substantially more flexible than the second arm.

14. A system according to claim 11 further comprising one or more additional resiliently-flexible arcuate arms extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body, the additional arcuate arms defining additional elongate, arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area(s) between the C-shaped body and the arms, each additional arm having a free end closely spaced from another portion of the clip such that wires and/or tubes are allowed to be introduced into or released from the wire-and-tube-retaining area defined by said each additional arm by flexing said each additional arm.

15. A system according to claim 11 further comprising at least one radially extending bridging portion extending generally radially outwardly from the C-shaped body, the arm extending in generally concentric relationship with the C-shaped body from the radially outward ends of the bridging portion, the bridging portion defining a width of the wire-and-tube-retaining area, the C-shaped body being substantially stiffer than the arm.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein the arm has a cross sectional area, and the C-shaped body has a cross-sectional area approximately 150-250 percent larger than the cross-sectional area of the arm;

the C-shaped body, the arm and the bridging portion being integrally molded of thermoplastic or thermoset material, the C-shaped body extending along an arc of greater than approximately 180 degrees up to approximately 360 degrees.

17. A pole clip for arranging wires and/or tubing around a pole, the clip comprising:

a resilient, flexible, generally C-shaped body having an outer side, and an inner side configured for a snap fit on the pole with the outer side facing away from the pole;

first and second bridging portions each extending outwardly from the C-shaped body to an outward end;

a resiliently-flexible, generally arcuate first arm on the outward end of the first bridging portion, the first arm extending toward the second bridging portion at a generally constant distance from the C-shaped body substantially throughout the length of the arm and terminating in a free end, the first arm being substantially less stiff than the C-shaped body; and

a generally arcuate second arm on the outward end of the second bridging portion extending in a direction toward the first arm and terminating in a free end closely spaced from the free end of the first arm;

the first and second arms defining a generally elongate, arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the arms, the wire-and-tube-retaining area being sized and shaped to closely receive a plurality of wires and/or tubes such that the wires and/or tubes are visibly retained in side-by-side relationship along the periphery of the pole, and wires and/or tubes are allowed to be manually introduced into or released from the wire-and-tube-retaining area by flexing the first arm but the first and second arms normally retain the wires and/or tubes.

18. A clip according to claim 17 wherein the C-shaped body, the first arm, the second arm and the first and second bridging portions are integrally molded of thermoplastic or thermoset material.

19. A clip according to claim 18 wherein the second arm has a length of approximately one-half the length of the first arm, the first arm being substantially more flexible than the second arm.

20. A clip according to claim 19 wherein the C-shaped body is generally arcuate and the inner side of the C-shaped body is generally arcuate to adapt the C-shaped body for a snap fit on a cylindrical pole, the first and second arms being generally arcuate and concentric with the C-shaped body, the first and second arms being formed along a common arc.

21. A clip according to claim 18 further comprising:

a third bridging portion extending generally outwardly from the C-shaped body and having an outward end, with the first and third bridging portions being arranged on opposite sides of the second bridging portion;

a resiliently-flexible third arm on the outward end of the third bridging portion, the third arm extending toward the second bridging portion at a generally constant distance from the C-shaped body substantially throughout the length of the third arm and terminating in a free end, the third arm being substantially less stiff than the C-shaped body; and

a fourth arm on the outward end of the second bridging portion extending in a direction toward the third arm and terminating in a free end closely spaced from the free end of the third arm;

the third and fourth arms defining a second elongate wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the third and fourth arms, the second wire-and-tube-retaining area being sized and shaped to closely receive a plurality of wires and/or tubes such that the wires and/or tubes are visibly retained in side-by-side relationship along the periphery of the pole, and the wires and/or tubes are allowed to be manually introduced into or released from the second wire-and-tube-retaining area by flexing the third arm but the third and fourth arms normally retain the wires and/or tubes.

22. A method of conveniently organizing elongate members around a pole, the method comprising:

providing a clip comprising resilient, flexible, generally C-shaped body, and at least one resiliently-flexible arcuate arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body, the arm having an outside, and an inside defining an elongate, arcuate wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the arm, the wire-and-tube retaining area being concentric with the C-shaped body, the arm having a free end closely spaced form another portion of the clip;

pushing the C-shaped body unto the pole such that the body provides a snap fit around the pole to hold the clip on the pole;

introducing a plurality of said elongate members into the wire-and-tube-retaining area by pushing or pulling the elongate members against the outside of the arcuate arm to flex the arm inwardly toward the C-shaped body so as to allow the elongate members to pass through the space between the free end of the arm and the another portion of the clip;

arranging the plurality of elongate members in the wire-and-tube-retaining area such that the elongate members are closely received in the wire-and-tube-retaining space and are visibly retained in side-by-side concentric relationship around the pole;

using the elongate members during medical or surgical treatment of a patient; and

removing the elongate members after the medical or surgical treatment of the patient by pulling or pushing the elongate members against the inside of the arcuate arm to flex the arm outwardly so as to allow the elongate members to pass through the space formed between the free end of the arm and the another portion of the clip.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the arm constitutes a first arm, the clip further comprising a second arcuate arm extending in generally concentric relationship relative to the C-shaped body and having a free end closely spaced from the free end of the first arm to further define the wire-and-tube-retaining area between the C-shaped body and the first and second arms;

the step of introducing a plurality of elongate members into the wire-and-tube-retaining area comprising pushing or pulling the elongate members against the outside of the first arm to flex the first arm so as to allow the elongate members to pass through the space between the free end of the first arm and the free end of the second arm, with the second arm defining a portion of the wire-and-tube retaining area accommodating the elongate members as they are pushed past the first arm.