WO2000068605A1

WO2000068605A1 - Pipe clip

Info

Publication number: WO2000068605A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/001623
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernard Leach
Original assignee: Bernard Leach
Priority date: 1999-05-07
Filing date: 2000-05-08
Publication date: 2000-11-16
Also published as: GB2363820B; AU4585900A; GB0127026D0; GB2363820A; GB9910677D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pipe clip of paraticular use in suspending pipes and/or cables, in heating and air-conditioning installations and plumbing generally. There is described a pipe clip (10) comprising a generally U-shaped channel comprising a base element (11) having first (12) and second (13) side walls extending upwardly therefrom. The end of the first side wall (12) remote the base (11) is provided with a platform (14) extending inwardly therefrom over the base and a cover (15) is pivotally mounted upon the end of the second side wall (13) remote the base, the cover (15) being adapted to contact the platform (14) and being releasably securable thereto.

Description

PIPE CLIP

The present invention relates to a pipe clip of particular use in suspending pipes and/or cables, in heating and air-conditioning installations and plumbing generally.

Conventionally, in heating or air-conditioning installations, pipes are typically secured to a wall or other vertical surface by means of resilient metal or plastics open-sided clips screwed to the surface To ensure secure retention of the pipe, any insulation which may be provided around the pipework, must be removed The use of such clips is also inconvenient during installation in terms of accurately aligning a row of such clips with the pipework.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved system of hanging pipework and similar elongate elements which avoids these disadvantages

In its broadest sense, the present invention provides a pipe clip comprising a generally U-shaped channel comprising a base element having first and second side walls extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the end of the first side wall remote the base is provided with a platform extending inwardly therefrom over the base and wherein a cover is pivotally mounted upon the end of the second side wall remote the base, the cover being adapted to contact the platform and being releasably securable thereto

Preferably, a screw or bolt is mounted for rotation in platform the platform and the cover includes an aperture adapted to engage the screw or bolt

Typically, the aperture is generally keyhole shaped

Preferably, the base element includes a plurality of transverse ridges.

Preferably, the second side wall includes a re-entrant portion dimensioned such that the pivotal mount of the cover upon the end of the second side wall does not project outwardly therefrom

The clip is of particular advantage in the field of air-conditioning installations The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pipe clip in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of two pipe clips as shown in Figure 1, in use, with four insulated copper pipes.

Referring to the Figures, there is shown a pipe clip 10 having a base portion 11 and two side walls 12, 13 extending upwardly therefrom to form a generally U-shaped channel- The first side wall 12 includes at its upper end a platform 14 which extends inwardly over the base portion 11. -An elongate plate or cover 15 is pivotally mounted at the upper end of the second side wall 13 forming a hinge 20 therebetween. The end of cover 15 remote the hinge 20 extends to rest upon platform 14.

Cover 15 is releasably securable to platform 14 by means of a adjustable screw or bolt 21 mounted for rotation in platform 14 which is received in and engaged by a keyhole aperture 22 provided in the cover 15. Typically, the clip is formed from 1 mm thick mild steel, preferably overcoated with a layer of a passivating material. This allows sufficient flexing of the U-shaped channel 11,12,13 to allow engagement of the keyhole aperture 22 by the screw 21. Depending upon the particular use of the clip, alternative materials, such as plastics materials, will be equally suitable-

The base 11 of the clip is provided with means in the form of an aperture 23 to enable the clip to be mounted, whether vertically or horizontally, upon a surface, such as a wall or ceiling.

In use, cover 15 is opened and a pipe 30 together with such insulation 31 as may be required is placed in the U-shaped channel. In the embodiment shown, the clip is typically adapted to receive two such pipes. The clip is then flexed to enable engagement of the keyhole aperture 22 by screw 21 Screw 21 is then tightened to ensure that the pipe 30 is securely held.

In air conditioning installations, refrigerant and condensate pipes are generally of different diameters Accordingly, as shown, in a preferred embodiment, the side walls 11,12 are of different lengths and accordingly the cover 15 includes a central dog-leg portion to enable contact and engagement with the platform 14 As shown by the circular dotted lines in Figure 2, this provides the clip with two areas of different size, such that both pipes are resiliently held in place It will also be observed that between the pipes and their insulation (as represented by the dotted lines) are smaller areas 35, 36 which can be utilised for carrying ancillary services such as electrical cables

As is also shown, in the preferred embodiment, the base 1 1 includes two transverse ridges 40, 41 These assist in ensuring that the clip lies flat against the surface to which it is mounted, which invariably will not be perfectly flat or smooth

Two or more of the above-described clips may be mounted adjacent one another To enable this whilst not inhibiting full pivoting of the cover 15 about the hinge 20, the second side wall 13 includes a slight re-entrant portion 42 such that the hinge 20 does not project outwardly from the clip more than the side wall itself

The clip of the present invention accommodates pipes of different sizes and any insulation without needing to cut or squash the insulation, the pipes remain fully insulated The clip is also easier to use than the conventional clips in that pipes can be rested securely in the clip whilst other pipework is added

Alternative methods for releasably securing the cover 15 to the platform 14 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and are encompassed by the present invention

Whilst the embodiments illustrated and described have side walls 12,13 extending at substantially 90° to the base portion 11, this is not an essential requirement of the invention Indeed, the side walls may be angled to the base portion at a wide range of angles, typically up to around ±60° to the vertical

Claims

1. A pipe clip 10 comprising a generally U-shaped channel comprising a base element 11 having first 12 and second 13 side walls extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the end of the first side wall 12 remote the base is provided with a platform 14 extending inwardly therefrom over the base and wherein a cover 15 is pivotally mounted upon the end of the second side wall 13 remote the base 11 , wherein the cover 15 is adapted to contact the platform 14 and is releasably securable thereto.

2. A pipe clip as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a screw or bolt 21 is mounted for rotation in platform 14 the platform and the cover 15 includes an aperture 22 adapted to engage the screw or bolt 21.

3. A pipe clip as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the aperture 22 is generally keyhole shaped.

4. A pipe clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the base element 11 includes a plurality of transverse ridges 40,41.

5. A pipe clip as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second side wall 13 includes a re-entrant portion 42 dimensioned such that the pivotal mount of the cover 15 upon the end of the second side wall 13 does not project outwardly therefrom-