Hose holder system

Abstract: A hose holder system comprises at least one hose holder provided with a base portion and a hose holding portion for holding a hose therein. The system is characterized in that: the hose holding portion is integrally formed with the base portion; and, the base portion has one of its opposite end portions formed into a socket means and the other of the opposite end portions formed into a plug means sized to be fitted in the socket means. In the system, a plurality of the hose holders are detachably connected with each other to form a desired one of constructions of the system, such as a linear construction and annular constructions.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to a hose holder system, and more particularly to a hose holder system for holding, in neat and orderly arrangements, elongated members such as: hoses for use in hydraulic lines, pneumatic lines, and lubricating lines; electric wires such as ones called the "Nipporex tubes" (trade name); tubes; pipes; and, like elongated members, whereby these elongated members, each of which is hereinafter referred to as a general term "hose", are prevented from being entangled with each other in arrangements. Description of the Prior Art: Many hydraulic and pneumatic instruments are used in mother machines (i.e., machine tools), construction machines, internal combustion engines, and like machines. These instruments are provided with a plurality of hydraulic and pneumatic hoses which are often disorderly arranged therein. Heretofore, however, since there is no simple system designed to hold such hoses in neat and orderly arrangements, adjacent ones of these hoses often interfere with each other due to vibration caused by these machines. Such interference, i.e., rubbing of the adjacent hoses may cause hose breakage or hose puncture resulting in oil and air leakage. Hose holder systems are known, e.g. by EP-A-0 088 203 or EP-A-0 555 550, in which a plurality of hose holders may detachably snap on each other. In particular, these documents disclose a hose holder system comprising at least a pair of hose holders provided each with a base portion and a hose holding portion for holding a hose therein. The hose holding portion is integrally formed with said base portion and provided with an opening for receiving said hose therein. The base portion has one of its opposite end portions formed into a socket means and the other of said opposite end portions formed into a plug means sized to be fitted in said socket means. Such systems are meant to hold a plurality of hoses or cables in neat and orderly arrangements, to prevent these hoses or cables from interfering with each other. However, known systems only permit to have hose holders snapped on each other in a given plane, preferably on a floor surface. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hose holder system simple in construction and low in manufacturing cost, in which system a desired number of the hose holders may detachably snap on each other and be easily disposed in a position in which the hoses are brought into contact with wall surfaces, floor, frames of hydraulic and pneumatic instruments, and like objects, so that a desired number of the hoses are held in neat and orderly arrangements without interfering with each other or with frames of the instruments, thereby solving hose troubles such as oil and air leakage, progressive wear and the like. Further another objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following description. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the above objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing : A hose holder system comprising at least a pair of hose holders provided each with a base portion and a hose holding portion for holding a hose therein, wherein said hose holding portion is integrally formed with said base portion and provided with an opening for receiving said hose therein ; and said base portion has one of its opposite end portions formed into a socket means and the other of said opposite end portions formed into a plug means sized to be fitted in said socket means, characterized in that: said plug means of said hose holder is provided with a neck portion through which said plug means is integrally connected with said base portion ; said socket means is provided with a cut-off intermediate portion which is larger in width than said neck portion ; and said plug means of one of said hose holders is rotatably mounted in said socket means of the other of said hose holders. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the above objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing : the hose holder system, as set forth in the second aspect of the present invention, wherein : the hose holders are different in diameter of the opening of the hose holding portion from each other, while connected with each other. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the above objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing : The hose holder system, as set forth in any one of the above aspects of the present invention, wherein : the hose holder is provided with a through-hole passing through an inner bottom surface of the hose holding portion and the base portion, the through-hole serving as a mounting hole of the hose holder. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the above objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing: The hose holder system, as set forth in any one of the above aspects of the present invention, wherein: the hose holder is provided with a pair of projections in opposite sides of the base portion; and the projections engage with a support rail fixed to instruments, wall surfaces and like supports. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the hose holder of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the hose holder of the present invention shown in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a front view of the hose holder system of the present invention, in which system a plurality of different-size hose holders are detachably connected with each other; Figs. 4(A), 4(B), 4(C), 4(D), 4(E) and 4(F) are front views of various constructions of the hose holder system of the present invention, in which system a plurality of the hose holders are detachably connected with each other and formed into such various constructions; Fig. 5 is a front view of a second embodiment of the hose holder of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hose holder of the present invention shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a side view of the hose holder of the present invention shown in Fig. 5 in a condition in which the hose holder engages with its support rail; Fig. 8 is a side view of the hose holder system constructed of a plurality of the hose holders of the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 5 in a condition in which these hose holder are detachably connected with each other while supported by the same support rail; and Fig. 9 is a front view of a third embodiment of the hose holder of the present invention, illustrating the mounting holes provided in the base portion of the hose holder. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinbelow, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a plastic holder 1 (hereinafter referred to as the hose holder) for detachably holding a hose 9 (shown in phantom lines in Fig. 3). The hose holder 1 is provided with a base portion 2 and a hose holding portion 3 integrally formed with the base portion 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the hose holding portion 3 of the hose holder 1 is formed in cross-section into a substantially C-clip shape having an upwardly oriented opening 4. As shown in Fig. 9, it is also possible for the hose holder 1 to have its opening 4 upwardly and outwardly oriented. The hose holding portion 3 of the hose holder 1 has a pair of opposite free ends which extend or flare outwardly to form a pair of guide extensions 5. These guide extensions 5 function to guide the hose 9 into the hose holding portion 3 of the hose holder 1. The hose holding portion 3 substantially corresponds in diameter to the hose 9. Consequently, it is preferable to provide a plurality of the hose holders 1, which vary in diameter of their hose holding portions 3 to hold different-size or -diameter hoses 9 therein, as shown in Fig. 3. In case that the hose holder 1 is made of resilient materials such as resilient plastics and the like, since its hose holding portion 3 is resiliently deformed, it is possible for such resilient hose holder 1 to hold the different-diameter hoses 9, provided that theses hoses 9 vary in diameter within limits. The base portion 2 of the hose holder 1 has one of its opposite ends formed into a substantially C-clip shaped socket means, i.e., socket portion 6 having a horizontally oriented opening; and, the other of the opposite ends of the base portion 2 formed into a plug means, i.e., plug portion 7 which is so designed as to be detachably and rotatably mounted in the socket portion 6 of an adjacent one of the hose holders 3 in an insertion manner in a hose holder system of the present invention, the system being constructed of a plurality of the hose holders 1. As is clear from Fig. 3, in the hose holder system of the present invention, since it is necessary to have the different-size hose holders 1 detachably connected with each other, both the socket portions 6 and the plug portions 7 of such different-size hose holders 1 are so formed as to have the substantially same diameter. In assembly of the hose holder system of the present invention, the plug portion 7 of one of the hose holders 1 is inserted into the socket portion 6 of an adjacent one of the hose holders 1 from the side thereof. However, it is also possible to insert the plug portion 7 into the socket portion 6 from the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, provided that the hose holder 1 is made of resilient materials such as resilient plastics and the like. As shown in Fig. 2, it is not necessary for the socket portion 6 of the hose holder 1 to extend over the entire width of the base portion 2. In other words, the socket portion 6 may cut off its intermediate portion 10, as shown in Fig. 2. A width t2 of such cut-off intermediate portion 10 of the socket portion 6 is slightly larger than a width tl of a neck portion 19 of the plug portion 7, which permits said neck portion 19 to enter the cut-off intermediate portion 10 of the adjacent one of the hose holders 1 when the plug portion 7 of the hose holder 1 is rotated relative to the socket portion 6 of such adjacent one of the hose holders 1 in a condition in which the hose holder 1 has been connected with the adjacent one of the hose holders 1 in the hose holder system of the present invention. Incidentally, there is a fear that the plug portion 7 of the hose holder 1 drops sideward out of the socket portion 6 of the adjacent one of the hose holders 1 in the system due to vibration caused by instruments in operation. Consequently, in order to remove such fear, each of the socket portion 6 and the plug portion 7 is so designed as to have a sufficient width for preventing the plug portion 7 of the hose holder 1 from dropping sideward out of the socket portion 6 of the adjacent one of the hose holders 1. If necessary, a mounting hole 8 is formed in the hose holder 1 so as to pass through an inner bottom surface of the hose holding portion 8 and the base portion 2. Incidentally, in Fig. 9, the mounting hole 8 is formed in each of opposite end portions of the base portion of the hose holder. When the hose holder 1 is provided with the mounting hole 8, it is possible to fixedly mount the hose holder 1 on the frames of the instruments, wall surface and the floor by means of screws, bolts and like fastening means. In the hose holder system of the present invention, a desired number of the hose holders 1 are detachably connected with each other by detachably connecting each of their plug portions 7 with the socket portion 6 of an adjacent one of the hose holders 1. As shown in Fig. 3, depending upon application, it is also possible to detachably connect a plurality of different-size hose holders 1 with each other, which holders 1 very in diameter of their hose holding portions 3. The hose holders 1 thus connected with each other form one of desired constructions of the hose holder systems of the present invention. This hose holder system is disposed in a position in which the hoses 9 tend to be brought into contact with each other, and fixedly mounted therein, if necessary. Thereafter, the hoses 9 are detachably inserted into the hose holder portions 3 of the system from the openings 4 thereof, so that the hoses 9 are spaced apart from each other in neat, orderly arrangements to prevent them from interfering with each other. Figs. 4(A), 4(B), 4(C), 4(D), 4(E) and 4(F) show various constructions of the hose holder system of the present invention, in which a plurality of the hose holders 1 are detachably connected with each other to form various types of annular constructions. In each of such annular constructions: the plug portion 7 of the hose holder 1 is detachably and rotatably mounted in the socket portion 6 of an adjacent one of the hose holders 1 in an insertion manner; and, the width t1 of the neck portion 9 of the plug portion 7 of the hose holder 1 is smaller than the width t2 of the cut-off intermediate portion 10 of the socket portion 6 of the adjacent one of the hose holders 1. Of the annular constructions: ones shown in Figs. 4(A), 4(B) and 4(C) enable the hose holder system of the present invention to encircle tubular objects, rod-like objects, rod-like frames and the like; and, ones shown in Figs. 4(D) and 4(E) enable the hose holder system of the present invention to encircle plate-like frames and the like. Figs. 5 to 8 show a hose holder 11 of a second embodiment of the present invention. The hose holder 11 is fixedly mounted on the instruments, wall surfaces, floor and the like through its support rail 12. As shown in Fig. 7, the support rail 12 is constructed of: a bottom plate 13 fixedly mounted on the instruments and the like; and, a pair of support walls 14 extending upward from opposite sides of the bottom plate 13. Each of the support walls 14 is provided with a longitudinal inner support grooves 15. On the other hand, the hose holder 11 has the same construction as that of the hose holder 1, except that the hose holder 11 is provided with a pair of horizontal projections 16 in opposite sides of the hose holding portion 2, as viewed in Fig. 7. These projections 16 of the hose holder 11 are slidably inserted into a pair of support grooves 15 of the support rail 12 from the end of the rails 12, so that a plurality of the hose holders 11 are supported by the same support rail 12, as shown in Fig. 8. Preferably, a stopper 17 is fixedly mounted in the support rail 12 so as to prevent the hose holders 11 from slidably moving along the support rail 12. The stopper 17 is provided with a pair of leg portions 18 which engage with the support grooves 15 of the support rail 12 in the substantially same manner as that of the projections 16 of the hose holder 11. Namely, the leg portions 18 of the stopper 17 are slidably inserted into the support grooves 15 of the support rail 12 from the end of the rail 12 and fixedly mounted therein.

Claims: A hose holder system comprising at least a pair of hose holders (1) provided each with a base portion (2) and a hose holding portion (3) for holding a hose (9) therein, wherein said hose holding portion (3) is integrally formed with said base portion (2) and provided with an opening (4) for receiving said hose therein ; and said base portion (2) has one (6) of its opposite end portions formed into a socket means and the other of said opposite end portions formed into a plug means (7) sized to be fitted in said socket means (6), characterized in that: said plug means (7) of said hose holder is provided with a neck portion (19) through which said plug means (7) is integrally connected with said base portion (2) ; said socket means (6) is provided with a cut-off intermediate portion (10) which is larger in width than said neck portion (19) ; and said plug means (7) of one of said hose holders is rotatably mounted in said socket means (6) of the other of said hose holders. The hose holder system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein : said hose holders (1) are different in diameter of said hose holding portion (3) from each other, while connected with each other. The hose holder system, as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein : said hose holders (1) are linearly connected with each other. The hose holder system, as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein : said holse holders (1) are connected with each other to form an annular construction of the hose holder system. The hose holder system, as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein : said hose holder (1) is provided with a through-hole (8) passing through an inner wall surface of said hose holding portion (3) and said base portion (2), said though-hole (8) serving as a mounting hole of said hose holder. The hose holder system, as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein : said hose holder (1) is provided with a pair of projections (16) in opposite sides of said base portion (2) ; and said projections (16) engage with a support rail (12) fixed to instruments, wall surfaces and like supports.

Inventors: SAKAIDA KENICHI, SAKAIDA, KENICHI, Sakaida, Kenichi, c/o Toyota Yuki Co., Ltd.
Applicants: TOYOTA YUKI CO LTD, TOYOTA YUKI CO., LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: F16L3
IPC codes: F16L3