Tube clamp

Details Tube clamp Tube clamp

2002-01-28

2003-07-22

Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)

Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.

Bale and package ties, hose clamps

With tighteners

C024S019000, C024S0160PB, C024S271000, C024S279000, C285S114000, C285S410000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06594869

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tube clamp for securing a flexible tubular member, for example, a hose to a rigid tubular member, and more particularly to such a tube clamp, which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1
,
2
A, and
2
B show a tube clamp according to the prior art. This structure of tube clamp comprises a transversely grooved metal binding strap
1
having an opening
3
at its one end, namely, the lead end, a screw holder
4
fastened to the opening
3
of the binding strap
1
by its integrated clamping plates
5
, and a screw
7
mounted in the screw holder
4
and turned to move the tail end of the binding strap
1
over its lead end in tightening up the tube clamp. The screw
7
has threads meshed with transverse grooves
2
of the binding strap
1
. The clamping plates
5
have a respective protruded mounting flange
6
fastened to the periphery of the opening
3
. This structure of tube clamp is not satisfactory in function. One drawback of this structure of tube clamp is that the clamping plates
5
of the screw holder
4
tend to be forced away from the binding strap
1
when the tube clamp excessively tightened. Another drawback of this structure of tube clamp is that the formation of the transverse grooves
2
of the binding strap
1
weakens the structural strength of the binding strap
1
. Still another drawback of this structure of tube clamp is that the screw
7
tends to be disengaged from the transverse grooves
2
of the binding strap
1
when the tube clamp excessively tightened.
FIGS. 3 and 4
show another structure of tube clamp according to the prior art. According to this design, the tube clamp comprises a metal binding strap
10
, the metal binding strap
10
having two end scrolls
11
at the ends thereof, each scroll
11
having the free end H welded to the outer surface of the metal binding strap
10
and two holes
12
aligned at two sides, two metal reinforcing barrels
13
respectively inserted into the scrolls
11
, each metal reinforcing barrel
13
having two through holes
130
in alignment with the holes
12
of the corresponding scroll
11
, a smoothly arched metal reinforcing plate
16
attached to the scrolls
11
at the inner side, the metal reinforcing plate
16
having two locating flanges
160
respectively stopped at two sides of the scrolls
11
, a screw bolt
14
inserted through the holes
12
of the scrolls
11
and the holes
130
of the metal reinforcing barrels
13
, and a nut
15
threaded onto the screw bolt
14
. This structure of tube clamp still has numerous drawbacks. One drawback of this structure of tube clamp is its complicated fabrication process. Another drawback of this structure of tube clamp is its high manufacturing cost. Still another drawback of this structure of tube clamp is its complicated installation procedure. Furthermore, because the parts of the aforesaid two prior art designs are made of metal, they are heavy and may injure the skin when touched. When exposed to the weather, the metal parts will be covered with rust soon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a tube clamp, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a tube clamp, which is durable in use. It is another object of the present invention to provide a tube clamp, which is inexpensive to manufacture. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tube clamp comprises a binding strap injection-molded from high strength plastics, the binding strap having two lugs at two ends, and a smoothly arched rib-reinforced extension bearing flange forwardly extended from the first leg and adapted for supporting the second lug and guide movement of the second lug toward the first lug, and a screw bolt inserted through a through hole in the first lug and threaded into a screw hole in the second lug and screwed up with a nut to fix the tube clamp to the workpiece. According to a second embodiment of the present invention, the second lug is detachably selectively fastened to longitudinally spaced hook holes in the second end of the binding strap by a hook joint.


REFERENCES:
patent: 978619 (1910-12-01), Morgan
patent: 1065408 (1913-06-01), Thorsby
patent: 1262413 (1918-04-01), Tyler
patent: 1447956 (1923-03-01), Blaise
patent: 1684666 (1928-09-01), Frazier
patent: 1986748 (1935-01-01), Pritchard
patent: 2352971 (1944-07-01), Prochaska
patent: 2579104 (1951-12-01), Woolsey et al.
patent: 3737959 (1973-06-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4526756 (1985-07-01), Wong

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