Supports – Pipe or cable – Brackets
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-12
2001-04-17
King, Anita M. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Pipe or cable
Brackets
C248S229160, C248S316100, C248S316700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216987
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a rod holder for holding rod members, such as various kinds of pipes and rods, and particularly relates to a rod holder which can hold rod members having different shapes, such as round pipes and rectangular pipes.
Conventionally, a rod holder made of a synthetic resin has been widely used for holding rod members, such as pipes, and as an example of the rod holder, a rod member disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (KOKOKU) No. 1-34962 has been known. Namely, as shown in
FIG. 7
, this rod holder includes, as one unit, a holding section
b
at one end thereof for holding a round bar or round pipe
a
; and a pivotal attachment section
e
at the other end thereof, which is formed of an axis
c
and a clamping piece
d
extending perpendicular to an axial direction away from a distal end of the axis
c
and having an open side to which an outer periphery of an axis can be inserted. In this case, the holding section
b
is bent in a C-shape to have an open end, and opposing both ends are inclined outwardly to form introducing pieces
f
.
As clearly understood from the shape of the holding section
b
, the rod holder is used for holding the round bar or round pipe
a
.
Incidentally, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the rod holder disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (KOKOKU) No. 1-34962 is used such that a pair of holders
d
having the same shape is connected to each other rotatably around the axes
c
by inserting the clamping piece of one holder into the axis
c
of the other rod holder, and vice versa.
Also, as a holder for holding a round bar or round pipe, a holder disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2,630,917 has been known.
FIG. 9
is a drawing explaining this holder, and the holder is formed of a base
h
; an engaging portion
i
projecting from one surface of the base
h
to engage a mounting hole; U-shaped walls
j
extending vertically from the other surface of the base; and a plurality of elastic disengagement prevention pieces
m
,
n
extending obliquely from the U-shaped walls
j
toward the base and having distal ends which support the rod member inside the U-shaped walls. A plurality of disengagement prevention pieces
m
,
n
is disposed to extend from the U-shaped walls
j
such that the pieces do not interfere with each other when the pieces are deformed toward the base, and a plurality of rod inserting paths having different widths is formed at distal ends of the respective elastic disengagement prevention pieces.
This holder has a plurality of disengagement prevention pieces
m
,
n
, and the rod inserting paths defined at the distal ends of the pieces
m
,
n
have different widths, respectively, so that even if the rod member has a different outer diameter, the rod member can be held between the U-shaped walls
j
by one of the disengagement prevention pieces, i.e. the piece
m
or
n
.
In this case, as shown in
FIG. 10
, the holder is structured such that receiving arms
k
respectively protrude downwardly from lower parts of the side walls. A lower surface of the round bar or pipe is supported by the receiving arms
k
, and an upper surface of the round bar or pipe is engaged with the disengagement prevention pieces
n
having a shorter length than the disengagement prevention pieces
m
, so that the round bar or pipe can be securely held.
However, in the aforementioned rod holders of FIG.
7
through
FIG. 10
, the rod members held therein are limited to the members having a round section. In case of holding a rod member, such as rectangular pipe or bar having a rectangular section, as show in
FIG. 11
, it is necessary to use a holder
w
having a rectangular holding groove
v
therein. On the other hand, the holder shown in
FIG. 11
is not suitable for holding the round pipe or bar.
Therefore, conventionally, it is required to independently or separately prepare a holder for holding a round pipe or bar and a holder for holding a square pipe or bar, to properly use one of the holders according to the rod members held therein.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a rod holder which can securely hold rod members irrespective of the shapes of the rod members, and more particularly, the rod holder which can hold both round pipes or bars and rectangular pipes or bars, so that the rod holder can be used widely.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rod holder as mentioned above, which can be manufactured relatively easily at a low cost.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a rod holder, which is formed of a rod holding portion in a rectangular shape; and a holder main body which is elastically deformable to expand an opening outwardly when a rod member is pushed from the opening, wherein the opening is elastically returned to the original state when the rod member is inserted inside the rod holding portion. The holder is further provided with a window at a side wall of the holder main body, and at an upper portion of the window, there is formed a rod receiving piece which normally projects inside the holding portion and which is elastically deformed by an outward pressing force of the rod member to retreat or be located inside the side wall.
In this case, if a rod member, for example, has a round section, it can be engaged with the receiving piece. Also, if the rod member has a rectangular section, when the rod member is further pushed downwardly from an engaging condition by the receiving piece, a distal end of the receiving piece is pushed outwardly to deform elastically so that the receiving piece is moved back to be located inside the side wall. Then, when the rod member is further moved downwardly and abuts against a bottom of the holding portion, the movement is stopped and the rod member is held inside the holding portion.
As described above, according to the present invention, for example, in case a round rod member is held in the rod holding portion, the rod member can be held such that the rod member is engaged with the receiving piece. Also, in case a rectangular rod member, such as a square pipe, is held in the holding portion, by pushing the rod member strongly, the receiving piece retreats inside the side wall and the rod member can be pushed to the bottom of the holding portion, so that the square rod member can be held inside the holding portion. Therefore, rod members having various shapes, for example both round rod member and square rod member, can be held by the holder of the invention, so that the rod holder of the invention can be conveniently used irrespective of the shapes of the rod members, and can be used for wide purposes.
In this case, as embodiments of the invention, the rod holder may be structured such that the holder main body is formed to have a U-shaped section and the rod holding portion in a groove form inside therein, and the windows of the holder main body are formed at both side walls to which the rod receiving pieces are integrally provided. Also, the rod holder can be structured such that the holder main body is formed to have an L-shaped section which enables that the rod holding portion in a groove form can be formed between the side wall of the holder main body and a wall to which the holder is mounted, and the rod member is held by inserting the rod member into the rod holding portion in the groove form.
Also, in order to prevent the rod member from falling off, it is advantageous that at an end portion of the opening, the holder main body is provide with a rod retaining piece which has a distal end extending inside the holding portion and abuts against the rod member to engage the same in case the rod member is held inside the holding portion. Also, the holder main body is provided with a connection part which connects the rod holder to another rod holder, or which
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
King Anita M.
Morrison N.
Nifco Inc.
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