AU750894B2 - A pipe clip - Google Patents

Description

WO 99/24747 PCT/NZ98/00163 1 A PIPE CLIP FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a pipe clip.

When service pipes such as water pipes, gas pipes and the like are led into or incorporated in buildings and the like, so that they pass up through or around walls, they require to be clamped to a wall or other support structure so that the pipes can be hung on or otherwise supported on the structure.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION Various forms of pipe clips are known by which a pipe can be supported on a structure, one such hanger being described in New Zealand Patent Specification 245763 which describes a band which is shaped to encircle a pipe with one end of the band being permanently attached to a mounting and the other end being securable to the mounting bracket to compress the band around the pipe to retain the pipe in the mounting.

Because service pipes are generally made of a plastics or a metallic material, the pipes are subject to a degree of expansion and contraction both longitudinally and transversely as a result of variations in temperature in both the interior of the pipe and because of changes in ambient temperature. It is therefore highly desirable that any means of securing a pipe to a structure should allow the pipe to have at least limited movement in relation to the structure. One clamp which allows a longitudinal movement is described in New Zealand Patent Specification 212983 in which a pipe guide is formed of a U shaped support member which has two arms and a base. The extremities of the arms are threaded so that they can be passed through appropriate holes in a mounting plate and the U shaped support member is then passed around the pipe and the threaded extremities of the arms are attached WO 99/24747 PCT/NZ98/00163 2 to the plate. The U shaped member includes rotatable bearing elements which will engage the pipe and allow the pipe to move in a longitudinal direction.

Yet another form of pipe clamp is disclosed in New Zealand Patent Specification 165912 which describes a clip formed of a plastics material which has a base and an upstanding semi-circular shaped open collar into which a pipe is engaged.

Often when piping out a framework, such as a wooden framework for a building, holes are made in the framework through which the pipes are threaded. Unless the holes are. only slightly larger than the outside diameter of the pipe, either none or else insufficient mechanical support is provided for the pipe and this can give rise to problems such as water hammer.

If the holes through which the pipes pass are only slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe, difficulty can be experienced in threading the pipe through the holes.

Known types of clips for supporting pipes are not generally satisfactory for.

supporting pipes and all suffer from various disadvantages and in particular are generally expensive to manufacture because of comparatively complicated construction.

Other clips are not sufficiently easy to apply and consequently there is a need for a simple effective clip which can be used in a variety of situations and which will satisfactorily allow a pipe to be hung on or otherwise supported on a structure.

OBJECT OF INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved pipe clip which does not suffer from the disadvantages of the pipe clips already known.

78094 WGN SUMMARY OF INVENTION In broad terms the invention may be said to consist in a pipe clip for supporting a pipe relative to a support structure, the pipe clip including a substantially planar body section having at least one mounting hole extending in a plane perpendicular to the body section to attach the clip to the support structure; and a pipe receiving socket arranged to receive and retain a pipe extending both in a plane perpendicular to the body section and in a plane parallel to the at least one mounting hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Preferred forms of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of one form of the pipe clip of the present invention depicting a pipe supported by the clip; Figure 2 is a plan view of the clip illustrated in Figure 1; 20 Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the clip; •i Figure 4 is a view of part of a pipe supported by a clip of the present invention with the pipe running vertically; and Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4, but indicating part of a pipe supported with the pipe running horizontally.

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eee° eel•• e WO 99/24747 PCT/NZ98/00163 4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORMS As indicated in Figure 1, a pipe 1 can be supported externally of a piece of framework such as the timber dwang indicated at 2 by means of a clip 3 which is preferably formed from a strong resilient and preferably semi-rigid material such as a plastic. The clip can be formed by moulding, stamping or the like so it is essentially of a planar one piece formation.

One end of the clip is formed with a collar which defines a pipe receiving socket which is preferably semi-circular in shape and of a size that the pipe 1 will be a snug fit within the socket 5. The other end of the clip is formed as a planar body section. As can be seen particularly from Figure 2, the entrance to the socket 5 is obtained by a throat 6, which is of a lesser width than the diameter of the socket and is consequently of a lesser width than the outside diameter of the pipe 1.

To attach the clip to a pipe 1 it is therefore necessary to place the throat 6 against the pipe and exert force to deform the lips 6a of the throat 6 to allow the pipe to enter into the socket 5. Provided the clip is formed from a resilient material, then the material surrounding the throat 6 will return to its original rest state to retain the pipe 1 within the socket It will be understood that in a modification, the clip can be formed from a semipliable material such as metal and to insert a pipe 1 into the socket 5, one or both lips of the throat 6 can be manually deformed to allow the pipe to enter into the socket 5 through the throat, whereupon the material surrounding the lips of the throat can be bent back to their original position.

Various means can be provided for attaching the clip to a support structure. In a highly preferred form, the body section of the clip includes at least one mounting hole 7 which is of a size that a screw, nail or the like can pass through the WO 99/24747 PC/NZ98/001 63 mounting hole 7 into the support 2 to thereby retain the pipe in position on the support.

A preferred form clip includes two mounting holes 7 as shown in the Figures. As shown particularly in Figure 1, the mounting holes are spaced along the length of the body section to ensure stability when the clip is attached to the support structure. In a preferred form the mounting holes lie in a line down the centre of the body section. It will be appreciated that the body section may be provided with more than two mounting holes.

As can be seen particularly from Figure 2 the material forming the clip surrounding the socket 5 is preferably enlarged such as by webs 8 to act as a strengthener for the clip. This is of particular advantage when the lips 6a of the throat are being deformed during the entry of the pipe into the socket Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the invention wherein the clip is made of a larger size to accept pipes of a larger external diameter.

Although the socket 5 will normally be of a semi-circular or substantially semicircular shape as indicated, nevertheless the socket can be made in various shapes so that the clip can be utilised with pipes of other than circular outside circumference. In addition, although the clip is depicted as having a greater width across the portion surrounding the socket 5, the shape can be altered to suit particular circumstances. The shape depicted is favoured mainly because of the economies involved and the material required to manufacture the clip but the invention also includes clips having the above essential features of a throat forming an entrance to a socket but in which the perimetric shape of the clip is different from that depicted in the drawings.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the preferred method of use of the clip when piping out a timber framework, such as the framework of a building. Figure 4 illustrates the WO 99/24747 PCT/NZ98/00163 6 supporting of a pipe in a vertical position to the framework while Figure 5 illustrates the supporting of a pipe in a horizontal position. As can be seen from the drawings, the piece of framework such as the dwang 10 through which the pipe is to be passed is provided with a hole 11 which can be considerably larger in diameter than the diameter of the pipe 1. The hole 11 will generally be made of a size that will allow the pipe to be easily and efficiently threaded through the hole. When the pipe is to be supported by the framework, a clip 3 is then applied to the pipe and after the pipe is centralised or otherwise located in the hole, the clip is secured to the framework by means of a nail or nails through mounting hole(s) 7 or other suitable securing means as will be known in the art. Because of the nature of the clip, the pipe will be securely held to the framework against any unwanted movement.

The foregoing describes the invention including preferred forms thereof. Alterations and modifications, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are intended to be incorporated within the scope thereof, as defined in the following claims.

Claims (9)

1. A pipe clip for supporting a pipe relative to a support structure, the pipe clip including: a substantially planar body section having at least one mounting hole extending in a plane perpendicular to the body section to attach the clip to the support structure; and a pipe receiving socket arranged to receive and retain a pipe extending both in a plane perpendicular to the body section and in a plane parallel to the at least one mounting hole.

2. The pipe clip as claimed in claim 1 wherein the socket is arranged to receive and retain a pipe extending through the support structure.

3. The pipe clip as claimed in claim 1 wherein the socket is arranged to receive and retain a pipe adjacent the support structure. •oo

4. The pipe clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 further including a collar defining the pipe receiving socket, the collar having an entrance to the socket 20 comprising a throat having deformable lips.

5. The pipe clip as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lips are arranged so that the throat is of a lesser width than the diameter of the pipe receiving socket.

6. The pipe clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the pipe S receiving socket is semi-circular in shape.

The pipe clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the clip further includes strengthening webs surrounding the socket.

8. The pipe clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the body has at least two mounting holes.

9. The pipe clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the clip is formed from a resilient plastic material.