PIPE SUPPORT SYSTEM

SYSTEME DE SUPPORT DE TUYAU

English Abstract

A pipe support system including a main body, at least one channel extending
about an exterior surface of the main body, a clamping portion, a cover
member, and
at least one channel defined about an exterior surface of the cover member.
The
main body has a recess for receiving a pipe. The clamping portion extends
downwardly from the main body. The cover member is positioned, shaped and
sized
to operatively fit between first and second side walls of the main body so as
to cover
the pipe when the cover member is placed about the main body. Cooperating
channels provided respectively on the main body and the cover member are
configured for receiving a corresponding securing member for securing the
cover
member onto the main body of the pipe support system.

French Abstract

Un système de support de tuyau qui comprend une section principale, au moins un canal qui s'étend d'une surface extérieure de la section principale, une section de serrage, une section de couverture, et au moins un canal sur la surface extérieure de la section de couverture. La section principale comprend un renfoncement pour recevoir un tuyau. La portion de serrage s'étend vers le bas à partir de la portion principale. La section de couverture présente une position, une forme et une taille qui lui permettent de loger entre la première et la deuxième paroi de la section principale de façon à couvrir le tuyau lorsque la section de couverture est placée sur la section principale. Les canaux coopérants qui se trouvent sur la section principale et sur l'élément de couverture sont conçus de façon à ce qu'ils puissent accueillir l'élément d'arrimage pour arrimer l'élément de couverture à la section principale du système de support de tuyau.

Claims

7
CLAIMS:
1. A pipe support comprising:
a main body having a recess formed therein for receiving a pipe, said recess
being defined by a bottom wall and first and second side walls of the main
body;
at least one channel extending about an exterior surface of the main body;
a clamping portion extending downwardly from the main body, the clamping
portion comprising first and second resilient members;
a cover member for covering the main said body, said cover member being
positioned, shaped and sized to operatively fit between the first and second
side
walls of the main body so as to cover the pipe when the cover member is placed
about the main body; and
at least one channel defined about an exterior surface of the cover member, a
given channel of the cover member being configured for cooperation with
another
channel of the main body when the cover member is positioned about the main
body
so as to define at least one pair of cooperating channels, said pair of
cooperating
channels being configured for receiving a corresponding securing member for
selectively securing the cover member onto the main body of the pipe support.
2. A pipe support according to claim 1, wherein the pipe support is made of a
plastic
material
3. A pipe support according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second side
walls of
the main body each have a central portion and a pair of end portions, said
central
portion extending upwardly from said bottom wall of the main body at a greater
distance than said end portions.
4. A pipe support according to claim 3, wherein the pipe support comprises at
least
four ribs extend transversely with respect to the main body to define first
and second

8
spaced apart body channels.
5. A pipe support according to claim 4, wherein the body channels are located
proximate a point where a respective end portion meets the central portion.
6. A pipe support according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the recess of
the main
body has a generally U-shaped configuration and is open at a top end thereof.
7. A pipe support according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the pipe support
comprises first and second longitudinal ribs, each longitudinal rib being
located on
an exterior surface of said bottom wall, each longitudinal rib extending from
said
clamping portion to a respective body channel.
8. A pipe support according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein each of the
first and
second resilient members comprises a vertical side wall and an inwardly
extending
end segment, the vertical side walls of the resilient members extending
transversely
with respect to the side walls of the main body.
9. A pipe support according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the cover member
has
an arcuate configuration.
10. A pipe support according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the securing
member
is a tie wrap.
11. In a building having a plurality of pipes and truss members and wherein
said
pipes include a vertical portion, the improvement comprising a pipe support
secured
to a horizontally extending truss member, said pipe support comprising:
a body having a recess formed therein, said recess having a generally U-
shaped configuration and being open at a top end thereof;
said recess being defined by a bottom wall and first and second side walls;

9
a plurality of ribs on an exterior surface of said bottom wall, at least four
of
said ribs extend transversely thereof to define first and second spaced apart
body
channels;
a clamping portion extending outwardly from said body, and being clamped to
said truss member, said clamping portion comprising first and second resilient
members;
each of said first and second resilient members comprising a resilient member
side wall and an inwardly extending end segment; each of said resilient member
side
walls extending transversely with respect to said side walls defining said
recess;
a cover member for said body, said cover member having an arcuate
configuration and being sized to fit between said first and second side walls;
said cover member having first and second cover channels formed on an
exteriorly facing surface, said cover channels extending transversely thereof,
each of
said first and second cover channels being aligned with said body channels
formed
on said bottom wall; and
a pair of securing members passing in said body and cover channels to
secure said body and said cover together.

Description

CA 02527221 2011-11-01
1
PIPE SUPPORT SYSTEM
Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a pipe support system, and more particularly,
relates to a pipe support system for non-horizontally extending pipes.
Background of the invention:
In the installation of pipes and the like in various types of buildings and in
particular pipes associated with air conditioning, refrigeration and heating,
such as
may be utilized in many commercial and industrial establishments, convention
practice is that the pipes are hung from the ceiling by strap hangers.
The most common type of strap hanger employed in the industry comprises a
metal strap having apertures for fastening purposes. The strap is looped about
the
pipe to be secured and then a fastening such as a screw or a similar member is
secured to a substrate such as a beam or rafter through the apertures. A
similar
arrangement is employed when the pipes follow a vertical outline as is also
frequently required in their transporting of a fluid from one location to
another.
This conventional means of fastening pipes suffers from several
disadvantages. Initially, each pipe must be installed individually and as such
the
installation process is relatively labour intensive. Secondly, the hangers can
cause
rupturing of the pipes after a period of time. This would occur due to
movement of
the pipe within the pipe hanger and subsequent surface damage. This movement
can occur either due to mechanical vibrations, and/or to a thermal expansion
and
contraction.

CA 02527221 2012-08-16
2
Summary of the invention:
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe support system
which
may be used in slanted or vertical runs of pipes.
According to the present invention, there is provided a pipe support
comprising:
a main body having a recess formed therein for receiving a pipe, said recess
being defined by a bottom wall and first and second side walls of the main
body;
at least one channel extending about an exterior surface of the main body;
a clamping portion extending downwardly from the main body, the clamping
portion comprising first and second resilient members;
a cover member for covering the main said body, said cover member being
positioned, shaped and sized to operatively fit between the first and second
side
walls of the main body so as to cover the pipe when the cover member is placed
about the main body; and
at least one channel defined about an exterior surface of the cover member, a
given channel of the cover member being configured for cooperation with
another
channel of the main body when the cover member is positioned about the main
body
so as to define at least one pair of cooperating channels, said pair of
cooperating
channels being configured for receiving a corresponding securing member for
selectively securing the cover member onto the main body of the pipe support.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a pipe support
comprising:
a body having a recess formed therein, said recess having a generally U-
shaped configuration and being open at a top end thereof;
said recess being defined by a bottom wall and first and second side walls;
at least one body channel extending about an exterior surface of the main
body; and

CA 02527221 2012-08-16
3
a clamping portion extending downwardly from said body, said clamping
portion comprising first and second resilient members, each of said first and
second
resilient members comprising a vertical side wall and an inwardly extending
end
segment.
According to the present invention, there is also provided in a building
having
a plurality of pipes and truss members and wherein said pipes include a
vertical
portion, the improvement comprising a pipe support secured to a horizontally
extending truss member, said pipe support comprising:
a body having a recess formed therein, said recess having a generally U-
shaped configuration and being open at a top end thereof;
said recess being defined by a bottom wall and first and second side walls;
a plurality of ribs on an exterior surface of said bottom wall, at least four
of
said ribs extend transversely thereof to define first and second spaced apart
body
channels;
a clamping portion extending outwardly from said body, and being clamped to
said truss member, said clamping portion comprising first and second resilient
members;
each of said first and second resilient members comprising a resilient member
side wall and an inwardly extending end segment; each of said resilient member
side
walls extending transversely with respect to said side walls defining said
recess;
a cover member for said body, said cover member having an arcuate
configuration and being sized to fit between said first and second side walls;
said cover member having first and second cover channels formed on an

CA 02527221 2012-08-16
3a
exteriorly facing surface, said cover channels extending transversely thereof,
each of
said first and second cover channels being aligned with said body channels
formed
on said bottom wall; and
a pair of securing members passing in said body and cover channels to
secure said body and said cover together.
Other aspects, embodiments, variants and/or resulting advantages of the
present invention, all being preferred, are briefly summarized hereinbelow.
Indeed, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
pipe support assembly comprising a body having a recess formed therein, the
recess having a generally U-shaped configuration and being open at a top end
thereof, the recess being defined by a bottom wall and first and second side
walls, a
plurality of ribs on an exterior surface of the bottom wall, at least four of
the ribs
extend transversely thereof to define first and second spaced apart body
channels, a
clamping portion extending downwardly from the body, the clamping portion
comprising first and second resilient members, each of the first and second
resilient
members comprising a vertical side wall and an inwardly extending end segment,
a
cover member for the body, the cover member having an arcuate configuration
and
being sized to fit between the first and second side walls, the cover member
having
first and second cover channels formed on an exteriorly facing surface the
channels
extending transversely thereof, each of the first and second cover channels
being
aligned with the body channels formed on the bottom wall.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, in a building having a
plurality of pipes and truss members and wherein the pipes include a vertical
portion,
the improvement comprising a pipe support assembly secured to a vertically
extending truss member, the pipe support assembly comprising a body having a
recess formed therein, the recess having a generally U-shaped configuration
and

CA 02527221 2011-11-01
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being open at a top end thereof, the recess being defined by a bottom wall and
first
and second side walls, a plurality of ribs on an extension surface of the
bottom wall,
at least four of the ribs extend transversely thereof to define first and
second spaced
apart body channels, a clamping portion extending downwardly from the body,
the
clamping portion comprising first and second resilient members, each of the
first and
second resilient members comprising a vertical side wall and an inwardly
extending
end segment, a cover member for the body, the cover member having an arcuate
configuration and being sized to fit between the first and second side walls,
the cover
member having first and second cover channels formed on an exteriorly facing
surface the channels extending transversely thereof, each of the first and
second
cover channels being aligned with the body channels formed on the bottom wall.
The pipe support assembly of the present invention is particularly
advantageous when used with non-horizontally extending pipes (ex. slanted
pipes,
vertically extending pipes, etc.) and to this end, there is provided a cover
member
which is secureable to the bottom member by means of a securing member, such
as
a tie wrap, for example.
Brief description of the drawings:
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the
accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe support system according to one
embodiment of the present invention with a pipe being shown in phantom;
Figure 2 is a side elevational thereof;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a top plan view thereof; and
Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the upper cover member.

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5
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention:
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and by reference characters
thereto, there is illustrated a pipe support system (hereinafter also referred
to as
"assembly") which is generally designated by reference numeral 5.
Pipe support assembly 5 includes a lower support member 10 and an upper
support member 11. Lower support member 10 includes a central body portion
generally designated by reference numeral 12 and which body portion 12
comprises
a bottom wall 14 which of an arcuate configuration and upwardly extending side
walls 16 and 18.
On the exterior facing surface of bottom wall 14 and side walls 16, 18 there
are provided spaced transverse flanges 20. As will be noted, there are also
provided
longitudinally extending flanges 22, with three such flanges being
illustrated.
Lower support 10 is designed to be attached to a truss type support and to
this end, there are provided a pair of fastening or clamping members generally
designated by reference numerals 24 and 26. Fastening members 24, 26 each have
a perspective side wall 28, 30 which extends outwardly from bottom wall 14.
Each
side wall 28, 30 in turn has respective inwardly extending end segments 32,
34. End
segments 32, 34 have a respective end wall 36, 38 such that there is defined
therebetween a recess designed to fit around a truss member. Naturally, it
will be
understood that side walls 28, 30 are somewhat flexible or resilient in order
that they
can be placed about the trust member.
At one end of pipe support of member 10, there is provided an extended
tongue portion generally designated by reference numeral 40. It will be noted
that
there is provided a rib 42 extending thereabout for reasons which will be
discussed
hereinbelow. Similarly, at the other end of central body portion 12, there is
provided

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a second extended tongue 44 having rib 46 associated therewith. Each one of
tongues 40, 44 is characterized by a side wall which is of a lesser height
than a
central portion of the side walls.
Upper support member 11 has an arcuate body 58 which includes a centre
channel 60 extending in a longitudinal direction. On the outer facing surface
of upper
support member 11, there are provided a pair of longitudinally extending
flanges 62
and 64. As may be seen in Figure 1, there are provided a pair of notches or
recesses 66, 68 in flange 62. Similarly, a pair of notches 70, 72 are provided
in
flange 64.
As previously mentioned, there is provided a rib 42 in extended tongue portion
40 and which, with a rib in the main body portion, defines a channel 85 at the
point of
juncture of the extended tongue portion 40 with main body portion 12.
Similarly, at
the other end, there is provided a channel 83 partially defined by rib 46.
The arrangement is such that once a pipe is placed in lower support member
10, cover portion 11 may then be placed thereabout and a tie wrap 74 used to
secure cover 11 to body portion 12. Tie wrap 74 may be then be secured in
position
and tightened as it passes within a respective channel 83, 85 and notches 66,
68, 70
and 72.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments
set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation
consistent
with the description as a whole.

Representative Drawing