Abstract:
A device for retaining and supporting pipes having a central curved section between two linear ends and being open to receive one or more pipes therein and serving to protect the pipe from being kinked or bent during construction and post-construction activities. The sides or arms of the device may be extended and bendable such that a pipe may be inserted between the arms and therefore held in place by a spring force. The device may be attached to wall studs or other structures through the use of plumbing straps, which can be weaved through slots in the device to securely hold the pipe(s) in place.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to a device for supporting and protecting FREON® and other pipes so that the pipes stay in place and so that the pipes do not become kinked or otherwise damaged during construction and post construction activities.  
         [0003]     2. Prior Art  
         [0004]     Conventional HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing, and piping systems generally include one or more pipes that distribute fluids such as water or FREON® to desired locations. These conventional piping systems often are constructed of metal or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. Often times, these “conduits” are intended to pass from (a) one room to another, (b) one floor to another, or (c) the interior of a building to the exterior. In running these pipes from one area to another, a system must be used to (1) anchor the pipe to a structure and (2) protect the pipe if it could become damaged or kinked particularly during construction and post-construction activities (such as the case with flexible and thin metal or plastic piping).  
         [0005]     Particularly susceptible pipes that may become damaged are that of the FREON® lines that pass from the interior to the exterior of a structure and metal or plastic water lines. In typical installations, care must be taken to avoid kinking the pipes during such activities, or the pipe must later be repaired or replaced, costing both additional material and labor costs. Currently, pipes generally are anchored to wall studs using metal or plastic straps with little or no protective support for the pipes. Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus to allow conduits to be held and protected in such installations. The present invention is directed to these and other needs.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention is directed towards providing a simple and economical pipe support/retainer generally for supporting and protecting conduits during construction and post-construction activities. The present invention also is directed towards a relatively simple device that is easily mounted quickly and securely, and that can support a variety of conduit sizes and in a variety of configurations. The present invention further is directed towards a conduit support/retainer that may include text or other indicators of the types of fluids or materials that are carried by the various conduits to warn of flammability, toxicity, electricity, temperature, etc.  
         [0007]     The device preferably features a central bent or curved section between two straight sections resulting in a boomerang-type or banana-type shaped structure. The device is cupped and open on one side to receive one or more pipes therein. The sides or arms of the device are extended and optionally bendable such that a pipe may be inserted between the arms and then when the arms are released, the pipe is held in place by a spring force from the arms. The device may be attached to wall studs (typically 2×4s) or other structures through the use of one or more conventional plumbing straps or other appropriate means. Plumbing straps also may be weaved through slots in the device to securely hold the pipe(s) in place, such as between wall studs or supports.  
         [0008]     In a representative installation, one end of a plumbing strap may be affixed to a wall stud by the use of a staple or nail. The loose end of the plumbing strap is threaded through slots in the pipe support and then attached to a second wall stud. After mounting the pipe support, the conduit can be placed into the concave surface of the pipe support. In an alternate preferred embodiment, the pipe is placed in the pipe support before the plumbing strap is attached in order for the plumbing strap to hold the pipe in place against the pipe support. Preferably, the pipe support is strapped between wall studs proximal to the wall board (or other wall material), or where the wall board will be. In this manner, the pipe support will contact the wall board for additional support and stability.  
         [0009]     It is preferred that in the case of certain conduits, including FREON® lines that pass from the interior of a structure to the exterior, one end of the pipe support extends beyond the exterior wall to the outside so that the pipe is protected so that it does not become kinked during the finishing of the outside of the structure during construction/post-construction activities, such as the application of siding, stucco, or a brick facade. If desired, the pipe support may be trimmed to be flush with the finished exterior. In a further preferred embodiment, the arms of the pipe support can be extended such that a conduit is snapped in between the arms of the pipe support in order to retain the pipe. Further, as the present invention has a generally simple structure, the device can be manufactured relatively easily and inexpensively and can be mounted quickly and efficiently.  
         [0010]     These features, and other features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which like reference numerals represent like components throughout the several views. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pipe support of the present invention suspended between wall supports.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  showing a representation pipe with respect to a pipe support of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of the pipe support of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of a pipe support of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 A in place with a brick facade.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4B  is a side view of a pipe support of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 A in place with a siding facade.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5A  is a partial top view of a portion of a pipe support of the present invention with a plumbing strap partially inserted.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5B  is a partial top view of a portion of a pipe support of the present invention with a plumbing strap partially inserted.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5C  is a partial top view of a portion of a pipe support of the present invention with a plumbing strap fully inserted.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6A  is a front view of a pipe support of the present invention with a pipe therein.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6B  is a front view and shows an alternate embodiment including one or more slots in the back of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 7A  is a front view of a pipe support of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 7B  is a front view of a pipe support of an alternate embodiment of the present invention including several additional slots that allow pipes of various sizes to be supported.  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a pipe support of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 9A  is a partial section view of a pipe support of the present invention including a plumbing strap.  
         [0026]      FIG. 9B  is a partial section view of the support of the present invention from  FIG. 9A  including a pipe and a plumbing strap.  
         [0027]      FIG. 9C  is a partial section view of a pipe support of the present invention including a pipe and a plumbing strap in a preferred configuration in which the plumbing strap is routed around the pipe.  
         [0028]      FIG. 9D  is a partial section view of an alternate embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention in which the arms of the support are extended.  
         [0029]      FIG. 9E  is a partial section view of the preferred embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention shown in  FIG. 9D  including a pipe which is removably held by the arms of the support.  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  is top view of a portion of an alternate embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention in which additional arms are situated on the interior of the support to facilitate the use of variously sized pipes.  
         [0031]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the support of  FIG. 10  in place including several pipes and plumbing straps.  
         [0032]      FIG. 12  is a top view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 8  including several pipes that are restrained by the use of a plumbing strap.  
         [0033]      FIG. 13  is a top view of a portion of an alternate preferred embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention from that shown in  FIG. 12 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     Referring now generally to  FIGS. 1-13 , preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The following description is compatible with any type of pipe or conduit, including plumbing pipes, such as hot and cold water, and is also usable with gas lines, cables, electrical conduit and other flexible or inflexible (rigid) lines.  
         [0035]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pipe support  10  of the present invention on a plumbing strap  18  that is affixed to vertical supports (such as a wall studs)  12 , 14  via tabs  20 . Though  FIG. 1  shows a bend in pipe support  10 , this is not necessary. Further, pipe support may be positioned and oriented in any way, though it is shown in a preferred orientation in which pipe support  10  may receive a pipe as shown in  FIG. 2 . Preferably, pipe support  10  is attached to vertical supports  12 ,  14  proximal to wall board  80  such that when installed, pipe support  10  contacts wall board  80  for added support and stability.  
         [0036]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  wherein pipe support  10  is supporting a pipe  22 .  FIG. 2  also shows that pipe support  10  and pipe  22  may have corresponding upper first end sections  24 ,  26 , respectively, preferably curved or bent middle sections  28 ,  30 , respectively, and lower second end sections  32 ,  34 , respectively. However, it is not necessary that pipe support  10  have three sections and it may have more or less, i.e., it could include one or more bent sections, or even none at all.  
         [0037]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of pipe support  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Pipe support  10  may include a vertical section spine  36  that may contain one or more vertical slots  38  in order to mount pipe support  10  to a structure (preferably via plumbing straps  18  as in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Pipe support  10  may also include one or more angled/horizontal spine slots  40  that may be utilized to provide additional support and stabilization. The geometry of pipe support  10  can be determined based on the type of installation, type of pipe, etc. such that the overall height H 3  of pipe support  10  can be tailored to the particulars of the installation (i.e., upper section height H 1  and height of lower section height H 2 ). Similarly, the width of pipe support  10 &#39;s lower section W 1  can be varied with respect to the overall width W 2 . The bending angle Θ between upper section  24  and lower section  32  is similarly variable. Though a preferred embodiment is shown, pipe support  10  may have any number of vertical, bent or angled segments and any number of slots or holes for mounting pipe support  10  to a structure. Further, pipe support  10  may be attached to a structure through any appropriate means, such as by nailing pipe support  10  to a wall stud, though the use of plumbing straps is preferred in that it allows pipe support  10  to be located away from the wall studs or other structures.  
         [0038]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a pipe support of the present invention wherein bending angle Θ is approximately a 90° angle and further including markings or indicators  41  to describe the conduit(s) supported and/or the contents of the conduit(s). Indicators  41  may either be manufactured integrally with pipe support  10 , or added subsequently, as in stickers, magnets, or even written by hand, etc. Indicators  41  may be of any suitable indicator including textual indicators (such as Warning: Hot Water, Caution: Flammable, Caution: Toxic, etc.), symbols (such as the international symbol for flammable, corrosive, toxic, etc.), or color coding (such as red for hot, etc.).  
         [0039]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of a pipe support  10  of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 A in place with a brick façade  42 . Note that pipe support  10  may protrude beyond the brick façade in order to protect pipe  22  from damage during construction/post-construction activities. Once construction activities are completed, pipe support  10  may be trimmed as appropriate or desired. Note that pipe support  10  also may include one or more slots  40  for affixing pipe support  10  to brick façade  42  or any other suitable façade or other structure. Thus,  FIG. 4B  is a side view of a pipe support of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1  and  3 A in place with a siding façade  44 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 5A  is a partial top view of a portion of pipe support  10  with plumbing strap  18  partially inserted through slots  38 ,  40 . Optional nipple  46  on the spine of pipe support  10  can mate with a corresponding optional hole or indented area  48  in plumbing strap  18  as shown in  FIG. 5C  to help prevent pipe support  10  from sliding along plumbing strap  18  after installation.  FIG. 5B  shows plumbing strap  18  more fully inserted through pipe support  10  and shows hole  48 .  FIG. 5C  shows plumbing strap  18  fully inserted through pipe support  10  and shows nipple  46  mated with hole  48 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 6A  is a partial top view of pipe support  10  and pipe  22 . Note that plumbing strap  18  is shown in a preferred position behind pipe  22  and arms  50 ,  52  are to the sides of pipe  22 . Though arms  50 ,  52  may be constructed in any geometry, it may be preferred to have arms  50 ,  52  extend such that they partially surround or hold pipe  22  in order to retain pipe  22  from undesired movement.  
         [0042]      FIG. 6B  is a partial top view of pipe support  10  and pipe  22  and shows an alternate embodiment wherein plumbing strap  18  is routed around pipe  22  in order to retain pipe  22  within pipe support  10  and from undesired movement. This is particularly advantageous if plumbing strap  18  is somewhat elastic and/or flexible in order to accommodate a variety of pipe diameters and in order to provide some limited freedom of movement for pipe support  10  and/or pipe  22 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 7A  is a front view of a simple embodiment of pipe support  10  of the present invention from  FIG. 3B  including sidewalls or protrusions or arms  50 ,  52  that may serve to support, retain and/or protect pipe  22 . It is preferred that arms  50 ,  52  extend from the side edges of the device as illustrated although it is also acceptable for there to be no arms, or for them to extend from only one side edge or other surface.  
         [0044]      FIG. 7B  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of pipe support  10  including one or more supplemental slots  54  that allow pipes of various sizes (and or more than one pipe at a time) to be supported and/or retained. In such a configuration, a plumbing strap (not shown) may be threaded through one or more of slots  54  in order to wrap around the pipe(s), as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . This embodiment is particularly useful if a person wants to be able to accommodate a variety of pipe diameters or in order for a single pipe support  10  to retain more than one pipe/conduit.  
         [0045]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of pipe support  10  comprising first end section  24  and second end section  32  and no curved middle section  28 , but including spine  36 . In such a configuration, a plumbing strap (not shown) may be threaded through one or more of slots  54  in order to wrap around the pipe(s), as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  to retain a pipe even without arms as in  FIG. 8 . This embodiment is particularly useful if a person wants to be able to accommodate a variety of pipe diameters or in order for a single pipe support  10  to retain more than one pipe/conduit and therefore it is suitable if arms  50 ,  52  are not present.  
         [0046]      FIG. 9A  is a partial section view of a pipe support  10  of the present invention including plumbing strap  18 . This view demonstrates a preferred configuration of arms  50 ,  52  in which a cross section is approximately U-shaped. It is equally permissible to have larger or other shaped arms or protrusions, or even none at all.  FIG. 9B  is a partial section view of pipe support  10  of the present invention from  FIG. 9A  including pipe  22  and plumbing strap  22 .  FIG. 9C  is a partial section view of pipe support  10  including pipe  22  and plumbing strap  18  in an alternate configuration in which plumbing strap  18  is routed around pipe  22  so as to hold pipe  22  in place. In these embodiments, arms  50 ,  52  extend to form an open cup-like structure into which pipe  22  can be placed. Arms  50 ,  52  serve as side supports in this embodiment.  
         [0047]      FIG. 9D  is a partial section view of a preferred embodiment of pipe support  10  in which arms  50 ,  52  of the support are extended and a cross section of this portion of the invention is C-shaped. Such a pipe support is preferably constructed such that arms  50 ,  52  provide a spring force in order to retain and/or support pipe  22 .  FIG. 9E  is a partial section view of the pipe support of  FIG. 9D  including pipe  22  that is preferably removably held by arms  50 ,  52  of pipe support  10 . In this embodiment, arms  50 ,  52  have some flexibility or elasticity such that arms  50 ,  52  can be opened, pipe  22  inserted into pipe support  10  between arms  50 ,  52 , and arms  50 ,  52  will flex back to the unflexed or original position to help secure pipe  22  within pipe support  10 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 10  is top view of a portion of an alternate embodiment of pipe support  10  in which additional arms are situated on the interior of pipe support  10  to facilitate the support of variously sized pipes and/or more than one pipe.  FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the support of  FIG. 10  in place including several pipes and plumbing straps  18 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 12  is a partial top view of an alternate embodiment of pipe support  10  (as shown in  FIG. 8 ) supporting several pipes that are restrained by the use of plumbing strap(s)  18  which is/are woven through various slots  38 ,  40 ,  54  in order to retain pipe(s)  22 .  FIG. 13  is a top view of a portion of an alternate preferred embodiment of pipe support  10  of the present invention from that shown in  FIG. 12  and in which plumbing strap  18  does not require slots  38 ,  40 .  
         [0050]     In further preferred embodiments, pipe support  10  also can serve as a means for labeling or conveying information regarding pipe(s)  22  and/or the contents carried by pipe(s)  22 . Certain information pertaining to pipe  22  can be written on, imprinted on, or attached to pipe support  10 . For example, pipe support  10  can be imprinted with information to indicate characteristics such as the type of the fluid carried by pipe  22  (or multiple pipes  22 ) or whether the fluids conveyed through pipes  22  are flammable. Additionally or alternatively, pipe support  10  can have a color to indicate the type and/or flammability or toxicity of fluids carried by pipe(s)  22 .  
         [0051]     The relatively simple structure of pipe support  10  can allow it to be manufactured relatively easily with inexpensive materials. Preferably, pipe support  10  can be molded from a single piece of resilient material that can withstand significant weights and temperature fluctuations. Pipe support  10  can be formed of plastic or other resilient material that permits it to deflect and resume its original shape. Such plastics and other materials are evident to and known by those of skill in the art. It is further preferred that the material be capable of providing an elastic spring force if pipe support  10  is intended to retain the pipe(s).  
         [0052]     Angle Θ preferably is between 90° and 180°, more preferably is between 90° and 155°, and even more preferably is between 120° and 155°. Height H 1  preferably is between 1 inch and 10 inches, more preferably is between 3 inches and 10 inches, and even more preferably is between 3 inches and 8 inches. Width W 1  preferably is between 1 inch and 10 inches, more preferably is between 3 inches and 10 inches, and even more preferably is between 3 inches and 8 inches. Middle section  28  preferably has an outer arc of between 1 inch and 10 inches, more preferably between 2 inches and 10 inches, and even more preferably between 2 inches and 4 inches. The distance between arms  50 ,  52  is variable depending on the type and number of pipes desired to be supported.  
         [0053]     In operation, the pipe support of this invention may be used to support and protect pipes  22  more quickly and easily than devices presently on the market and at a very inexpensive unit price. The pipe support  10  of the present invention affords a positive and secure mechanism to support pipes  22 . As disclosed herein, pipe support  10  preferably is strapped between wall supports  12 ,  14 . Alternatively, pipe support  10  can be screwed, nailed, adhered (glued) or otherwise attached to wall board  80 , wall supports  12 ,  14 , or any other structural feature located in the interior of a wall structure.  
         [0054]     The foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the appended figures have been presented only for illustrative and descriptive purposes. They are not intended to be exhaustive and are not intended to limit the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were selected and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications. One skilled in the art will recognize that many variations can be made to the invention disclosed in this specification without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.