DE29620360U1 - Pipe clamp - Google Patents

Description

Applicant: Gerlach Zubehörtechnik GmbH Buttergasse 44-46 04249 Leipzig

Inventor: Dipl.-Wirtsch. Wolfgang Gerlach Auenplatz 1, 04416 Markleeberg

Representative: Pat.-Anw. Dipl.-Ing. Roland W. Ilberg European Patent Attorney Am Weißiger Bach 93, 01474 Weißig

Title: Pipe clamp

Schönfeld-Weißig, 20.11.1996

296068iDE-2{li:

Pipe clamp
Description

The invention relates to a one- or two-part pipe clamp with a lockable opening on the circumference for radially inserting a pipe, which can be closed by an end flange bent outwards from the clamp band, whereby one end flange has a recess through which a clamping screw engages with play in a threaded plate which is mounted on the outside in the area of this end flange and the other end flange, which serves as an abutment for the head of the clamping screw, engages under the head of this clamping screw by means of a catch slot when the pipe clamp is closed.

In the case of pipe clamps made of rigid clamp band with end flanges bent outwards at approximately a right angle, the clamp flanges lock at an angle to one another when unlocked. If a tension screw for tightening the pipe clamp is already pre-mounted in one leg, it is difficult to position this tension screw with its screw head in the open slot of the other end flange. The longer the tension screw and the stiffer the pipe clamp, the greater the problem.

In practice, pipe clamps are therefore preferred whose clamping screw is guided with play through an elongated hole in one end flange and is secured behind it by a separate threaded piece against loss and twisting (EP 0235 629 Al).

Furthermore, it has proven to be useful to mount the threaded piece not only movably but also captively on the flange, which simplifies assembly in the sense that

296068iDE-3<ii)

that the clamping screw is already held at the necessary distance in every mounting position of the pipe clamp for swiveling into the open slot of the other end flange (DE-GM 19 45 024, DE 87 14 325.9, DE 92 16 499 Ul and others).

A further improved pipe clamp of this type was described in the utility model G 85 01 942.9. This pipe clamp enables the clamping screw to snap into place automatically when the rigid clamp halves are pressed together. To do this, a threaded plate with a hook-shaped attachment engages between the clamp band and the rubber insert in such a way that the rubber insert presses against the hook-shaped attachment from the inside, with the result that the threaded plate always springs back into a position parallel to the bent end flange.

However, this function requires the presence of a rubber insert. When installing it, care must be taken to ensure that the hook-shaped attachment is actually covered by the rubber insert.

Other pipe clamps with a snap-in clamping screw use clamping elements independent of a rubber insert, for example small rubber rings looped around the end flange with the threaded plate (DE 89 02 336.6 Ul, DE 91 08 948.4 Ul) or self-springing nut holders (DE 88 06 714.9 Ul, EP 0 387 967 Al, EP 0 512 654 Al, EP 0 534 518 Bl, EP 0 671 579 A2).

These spring elements, apart from being additional and partly consumable parts, have to be assembled by hand, which increases the manufacturing costs.

Finally, EP 0 597 193 A2 discloses a pipe clamp for automatic locking with a clamping screw screwed into a threaded hole of one flange, the other flange of which is covered by a retaining plate. When the attached pipe clamp is closed, the head of the screw seated in the flange pivots and/or moves.

: : · ··:: : 296068iDE-4{ii)

After passing through the second flange, the guided retaining plate until it has moved past its notch, and a tongue on the retaining plate moves during this evasive movement of the retaining plate through an opening in the clamp band starting from the flange.

Since the screw is screwed directly into one of the flanges, this clamp closes very tightly and is even more difficult to unlock. In addition, the retaining plate is a relatively complicated stamped and bent part.

The object of the invention is to find a cost-effective, reliable, easy-to-use and easy-to-install pipe clamp of the type described above, which can be used with and without a rubber insert.

The above object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are shown in claims 2 to 8.

The threaded plate has a swivel flag that passes through the area of the bent end flange and is directed towards the bending area of the other end flange in such a way that when the pipe clamp is closed, the inner clamp band acts on the swivel flag and thus the threaded plate in the sense of swiveling the clamping screw into the catch slot and holding the clamping screw in the catch slot. This means that the otherwise usual spring-elastic means, such as rubber rings, spring tongues or spring cages for the threaded plate, are no longer required. The swivel flag has such a bending angle and such dimensions that it fits in the area of the bent end flanges - and usually between the existing longitudinal beads in the clamp band - and thus does not come into contact with the pipe to be inserted, even if this is used without a profile rubber insert.

The threaded plate is a stamped and bent part with a threaded passage for the clamping screw. Due to the simple con-

: : · *": _># : 296068xen-5(ii)

door and one-time bending, it can be manufactured cost-effectively and assembled automatically.

In an embodiment of the invention, the swivel lug of the threaded plate passes through the end flange between the clamping screw and the inner boundary of the recess. For this purpose, the recess is drawn into the bending zone of the end flange somewhat deeper than the material thickness of the threaded plate requires, whereby this boundary can be used as a swivel bearing with play for the threaded plate.

The threaded plate is also advantageously pivotably mounted on the outer edge of the recess using the shaft of the clamping screw. The clamping plate therefore has two pivot bearings, one around the pivot lug on the inner edge of the recess and one around the screw shaft on the outer edge of the recess. The pivot bearing around which the threaded plate pivots is determined by the current position of the closing clamp bracket. Only when the clamping screw is tightened does the threaded plate lie flush with the two end flanges.

The threaded plate and/or the swivel lug are designed in such a way that sufficient protection against twisting is ensured when screwing in the clamping screw.

Furthermore, according to a preferred design, when the pipe clamp is closed, the swivel flag moves against the inner wall of the other end of the clamp so that the threaded plate is stabilized in the screwing position of the clamping screw. This means that the clamping screw can be easily tightened with a screwdriver or screwdriver without the fitter having to worry about slipping with the tool and possibly damaging the pipe.

The pipe clamp can be designed as a jointed pipe clamp with two half clamps and lined with a profile rubber insert, but the invention is also applicable to one-piece pipe clamps and pipe clamps without a profile rubber insert

.·.··: : · **:: : 296068iEN-6(ii)

usable.

Furthermore, a standard fastening nut can be welded onto the clamp band or a half clamp for wall or ceiling fastening.

The invention will be explained in more detail using an embodiment.

Fig. la bia Ic show three different closing phases of a folding pipe clamp schematically,

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a disassembled folding pipe clamp without rubber insert and without clamping screw.

The pipe clamp consists in a known manner of a first clamp bracket 1 and a second clamp bracket 2, which can be stiffened by a central bead (not shown in detail). The clamp brackets 1 and 2 are bent in a semicircle shape and connected to one another at one end by a hinge-like joint 3. At the other ends of the clamp brackets 1 and 2, two end flanges 4 and 5 extend radially outwards. The end flanges 4 and 5 are bent out of the first and second clamp brackets 1 and 2 and are therefore rigid. A fastening nut 6 is also spot-fixed to the first clamp bracket 1, with which the pipe clamp can be fastened to a ceiling or wall using a threaded bolt (not shown in detail). Furthermore, the clamp brackets 1 and 2 can be lined with a profile rubber insert 7 (Fig. 1) which consists of one piece and is placed over the edge of the clamp brackets 1 and 2. This profile rubber insert 7 serves to secure the pipe clamp in a sound-insulating manner and at the same time gives the pipe clamp cohesion and pre-tension in the area of the joint 3.

The end flange 4 has a slot-like recess 8 and the end flange 5 has a catch slot 9 that is open at the edge and widens outwards in a V-shape.

A clamping screw 10, shown in more detail in Fig. la to lc, is inserted through the slot-like recess 8 and screwed a few threads into a threaded plate 11 provided with a threaded passage. The threaded plate 11 reaches through the slot-like recess 8 with a swivel lug 12 from the side of the fastening nut 6. The shape of the threaded plate 11 itself and the swivel lug 12 also provide protection against twisting when the clamping screw 10 is screwed in. In addition, the threaded plate 11 is held in a swivel-movable manner on the end flange 4, in that the angled swivel lug 12 on the one hand and the clamping screw 10 on the other hand prevent the swivel lug 12 from sliding out of the recess 8. As the shaft of the clamping screw 10 and the swivel lug 12 form a swivel bearing for the threaded plate 10 on the end flange 4, the clamping screw 10 performs a peculiar wobbling movement during the closing movement of the pipe clamp, which is described in more detail below.

When the pipe clamp is put into use, the clamp brackets 1, 2, the profile rubber insert 7, the clamping screw 10 and the threaded plate 11 are already pre-assembled. The two clamp brackets 1, 2 are not yet connected to the clamping screw 10 and lock open due to the inherent tension of the profile rubber insert 7.

After the clamp bracket 1 has been screwed onto the associated threaded bolt (not shown in detail) using the fastening nut 6 and a pipe to be laid has been inserted into the clamp bracket 1, the second clamp bracket 2 is swung around over the pipe. This phase is shown in Fig. 1a, whereby it was assumed that the clamp is mounted on a wall, for example, in order to lay a riser pipe. As the closing movement progresses, the clamping screw 10 plunges into the V-shaped catch slot 9 without initially being caught. As the closing movement continues, the swivel flag then contacts the bending zone 13 of the opposite end flange 5.

296068iDE-8(11)

(Fig. Ib). The swivel flag 12 swivels the threaded plate 11 around the swivel bearing in the area of the bending zone 14 of the end flange 4 in such a direction of rotation that the threaded plate 11 is positioned approximately parallel to the end flange 5 and the clamping screw 10 finally swivels into the catch slot 9 of the end flange 5. Once the head of the clamping screw 10 has been gripped by the bends 15 on the catch slot 9, the clamping screw 10 remains held in the catch slot 9 under tension of the profile rubber insert 7. This position is not shown. If further pressure is now exerted on the clamp bracket 2, the transition area from the clamp bracket 2 to the bending zone 13 pivots the pivot flag 12 with the threaded plate 11 further, so that the screw shaft of the clamping screw 10 now forms a pivot bearing around the outer edge of the recess 8 in the end flange 4. The clamping screw 10 is thus moved slightly beyond the straight position into the catch slot 9 and locked. In this position, the clamping screw 10 can easily be grasped and tightened by a screwdriver without it trying to move away (Fig. Ic). As the clamping pressure increases, it pulls the threaded part towards the center of the clamp and thus again parallel to the end flanges 4, 5 and the clamping screw 10 is perpendicular to the end flanges 4, 5.

The locking movement only requires the sheet metal parts that are already present; a profile rubber insert 7 may or may not be present.

296068iDE-9<ii)

Reference symbol

first clamp bracket 1

second clamp bracket 2

Joint 3

End flange 4

End flange 5

Fastening nut 6

Profile rubber insert 7 slotted recess 8

Catch slot 9

Clamping screw 10

Threaded plate 11

Waving flag 12

Turning point 13

Turning zone 14

Bending 15

Claims (8)

296068iDE-10(11) claims; 1. Pipe clamp, with a lockable opening on the circumference for radial insertion of a pipe, which can be closed by an end flange bent outwards from the clamp band, one end flange having a recess through which a clamping screw engages with play in a threaded plate mounted in the area of this end flange and the other end flange, which serves as an abutment for the head of the clamping screw, engages under the head of this clamping screw by means of a catch slot when the pipe clamp is closed, characterized in that the threaded plate (11) carries a pivoting lug (12) which passes through the area of the bent end flange (4) and is directed towards the other end of the clamp in such a way that when the pipe clamp is closed, this other end of the clamp in the area of its bent end flange (5) acts on the pivoting lug (12) and thus the threaded plate (11) in the direction of pivoting the clamping screw (10) into the catch slot (9). 2. Pipe clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivoting lug (12) of the threaded plate (11) passes through the end flange (4) between the clamping screw (10) and the inner boundary of the recess (8). 3. Pipe clamp according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the threaded plate (11) is pivotably mounted on the one hand by the shaft of the clamping screw (10) and on the other hand by the pivoting lug (12) in the region of the end flange (4). 4. Pipe clamp according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the threaded plate (11) and/or the pivoting lug (12) offer sufficient protection against twisting when screwing in the clamping screw (10). 5. Pipe clamp according to one or more of the preceding : &iacgr; * **!: : 296068iDE-ll{ll) Claims, characterized in that the pivoting lug (12) moves against the inner wall of the other clamp end when the pipe clamp is closed, such that the threaded plate (11) is stabilized in the screwing position of the clamping screw (10). 6. Pipe clamp according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pipe clamp is designed as an articulated pipe clamp consisting of two half clamps (1, 2). 7. Pipe clamp according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pipe clamp is lined with a profile rubber insert (7). 8. Pipe clamp according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a fastening nut (6) is welded onto the clamp band.