Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Bale and package ties – hose clamps – With tighteners
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-09-04
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 5626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Bale and package ties, hose clamps
With tighteners
C024S279000, C248S074100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282756
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pipe clip comprising an annular clip body which is made from metal and has at least one opening which is delimited by two adjacent clip-body ends, in order to position the clip body around a pipe, and means for joining together the clip-body ends when the pipe clip is lying around the pipe, the pipe clip furthermore comprising a female fastening element, which is fixed to the metal clip body and has an axial bore provided with an internal screw thread for a male fastening element which is provided with an external screw thread and connects the pipe clip to a wall, ceiling or similar support.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Metal pipe clips have already been in production for a number of decades as a mass-produced product and are used for attaching pipes to walls, ceilings or other supports. An example of a pipe clip of this nature is shown in EP 0 387 966. As is known, there are pipe clips in which the clip body comprises two halves which can be joined together and pipe clips in which the clip body is formed by a single part and can be bent in order to place the pipe in the pipe clip and then bent back in order to surround the pipe. The present invention relates, inter alia, to both types of pipe clips.
The male fastening element between the pipe clip, on the one hand, and wall, ceiling or similar support, on the other hand, is usually a threaded rod or a threaded bolt with a metric screw thread or a special threaded bolt with a wood screw thread at one end and a metric screw thread at the other end. The screw thread diameter is usually M8 or M10. The female fastening element is usually a solid hexagonal metal nut with an axial bore which is provided with an internal screw thread which is adapted to the male fastening element, which nut is welded fixedly to the clip body. A nut with a stepped bore is also known as a female fastening element, part of the bore having an internal screw thread of size M8 and another part having an internal screw thread of size M10. The axial bore of the female fastening element is directed towards the centre of the pipe clip.
Over the course of recent decades, a very large number of designs of metal pipe clips of this nature have been developed, the aim in each case being to fit and fix the pipe in the pipe clip rapidly, easily and reliably. These developments related in particular to the connecting means which join the clip-body ends, which connection is brought about after the pipe has been placed in the pipe clip. Known connecting means are, for example, hooks or a tightening screw.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to propose measures which accelerate and facilitate the actions which the fitter has to carry out to install the metal pipe clips and pipes still further.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a metal pipe clip comprising an annular clip body which is made from metal and has at least one opening which is delimited by two adjacent clip-body ends, in order to position the clip body around a pipe, and means for joining together the clip-body ends when the pipe clip is lying around the pipe, the pipe clip furthermore comprising a female fastening element, which is fixed to the metal clip body and has an axial bore provided with an internal screw thread for a male fastening element which is provided with an external screw thread and connects the pipe clip to a wall, ceiling or similar support.
The pipe clip is characterized in that the female fastening element comprises a plurality of segments which are disposed around the axial bore and each have one or more internal screw-thread parts which together form the internal screw thread of the female fastening element, at least one of the segments being moveable between a radially outer position, in which the male fastening element can be inserted into the female fastening element in the direction of the clip body without a screwing movement of the female fastening element with respect to the male fastening element, and a radially inner position, in which the screw-thread parts are in engagement with the external screw thread of the male fastening element.
The invention therefore provides for the replacement of the known solid nut which is welded to the clip body by a female fastening element which makes it possible to place the pipe clip on the male fastening element without the pipe clip having to rotate with respect to the male fastening element.
In a preferred embodiment, the internal screw-thread parts can move in such a manner that they move towards the radially outer position when the male fastening element is inserted into the female fastening element in the direction of the clip body. In order to place this pipe clip on the male fastening element, the pipe clip can be held in one hand and can be pressed on the male fastening element with the same hand, so that there is no tool required. If the fitter is standing on a ladder, he can use the other hand to hold on. Furthermore, it is preferable for the internal screw-thread parts to remain in engagement with the male fastening element of their own accord under a load which seeks to move the male fastening element out of the female fastening element, in particular the load exerted by the pipe on the pipe clip. This means that the female fastening element is preferably designed in such a way that after the pipe clip has been placed on the male fastening element without rotation there is no need for any additional action in order to lock the pipe clip on the male fastening element.
Preferably, the female fastening element is designed in such a way that a pipe clip which has been placed on the male fastening element, can only be unscrewed from the male fastening element, which is not often necessary, by rotating the pipe clip with respect to the male fastening element.
Further advantageous embodiments of the pipe clip according to the invention are described in the claims and the following description given with reference to the drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2616645 (1952-11-01), Kindorf et al.
patent: 3167286 (1965-01-01), Sherburne
patent: 3265340 (1966-08-01), Attwood
patent: 3526381 (1970-09-01), Pepe
patent: 4467988 (1984-08-01), Kraus
patent: 4489908 (1984-12-01), Rumble
patent: 5327618 (1994-07-01), Chene et al.
patent: 5568906 (1996-10-01), Hahn et al.
patent: 5746401 (1998-05-01), Condon
patent: 4213893 A1 (1993-11-01), None
patent: 9309869.3 U1 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 0667475 A1 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 0769647 A1 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 1031573 (1966-06-01), None
PCT Novelty Search Report with English Translation.
Int'l Search Report.
Deveau Todd
J. van Walraven B.V.
Sandy Robert J.
Schneider Ryan A.
Troutman Sanders LLP
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