Patent Publication Number: US-2016238161-A1

Title: Clamping apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates, in general, to a support structure and, more particularly, to a clamping apparatus for coupling a tubular member to the support structure. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Clamps are used to secure articles, such as tubular members, to a support structure in engines, machines, and in other applications, such as multiple manufacturing facilities. Conventionally, clamps for the tubular members, such as pipes or hoses, are embodied as bent metal straps and are provided with fastening members at either ends of the metal straps to fasten the clamps to the support structure. However, over a period of time, the bend in such clamps and relative movement between the clamps and the tubular member causes wear on a surface of the tubular member, thereby resulting in seepage of fluids flowing through the tubular member. Other conventional clamps, designed to address the seepage of fluid, include a two piece structure. One piece of the clamp is fastened to the other piece in a manner, such that the clamp supports the tubular member between the two pieces. As such, in general, a clamping apparatus is needed to secure the tubular members to the support structure, in addition to protecting the tubular members from any damage. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,250 (250 patent) describes a clamping ring assembly for clamping a tubular member. The clamping ring assembly includes two rigid clamping members having semi-circular recesses, one or more annular wedge-shaped grooves in the recesses, and fasteners. An elastomeric insert, or a pair of inserts, has one or more ribs shaped to fit the groove or grooves. The rib height is less than the groove depth leaving an annular gap to improve the clamping action. Inserts of different thickness can be provided to accommodate hoses of different dimensions. Although the inserts of the clamping ring assembly of the &#39;250 patent addresses the problem related seepage of the fluid, the clamping ring assembly of the &#39;250 patent are associated with certain other problems. For instance, head portion of the fasteners used to attach the clamping members are embedded within the clamping member, thus making the head portion inaccessible for engaging a torqueing member. In such a case, commonly used tools for torqueing the fasteners may need to be replaced with high-end tools to torque the fasteners for assembling the clamping members. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, a clamping apparatus for clamping a tubular member to a support structure is provided. The clamping apparatus includes a grommet having a slit and adapted to conform on the surface of the tubular member. The clamping apparatus further includes a clamping bracket, The clamping bracket includes a first end including a clamping arcuate portion adapted to abut at least a portion of a surface of the grommet. The clamping bracket further includes a second end distal to the first end. The second end includes at least one recessed portion having a first surface and a second surface. The clamping bracket further includes at least one second hole located at a predetermined distance from the first surface and extending from the second surface to the first end of the clamping bracket. The clamping apparatus further includes a base bracket disposed proximal to the support structure and adapted to engage with the clamping bracket. The base bracket includes a first end adapted to abut a surface of the support structure and a second end distal to the first end. The second end includes a base arcuate portion adapted to abut at least a portion of the surface of the grommet. The base bracket further includes at least one base bracket hole extending from the first end and the second end of the base bracket. The at least one clamping bracket hole is adapted to align with the at least one base bracket hole to receive at least one fastening member therein to engage the clamping bracket with the base bracket. The clamping arcuate portion and the base arcuate portion define a passageway between the clamping bracket and the base bracket to receive the grommet along with the tubular member coaxially therein. 
     Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of a piping layout including a clamping apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the clamping apparatus; and 
         FIGS. 3 to 5  illustrates an assembly operation of the clamping apparatus, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein, are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a piping layout  10  includes multiple tubular members  12 , such as a first pipe  14 , a second pipe  16 , and a third pipe  18 , coupled between a fluid source (not shown) and a supply port (not shown). The tubular members  12  are positioned parallel to each other and arranged in a compact manner, as shown in  FIG. 1 , so that the piping layout  10  occupies minimum space in a worksite. In order to support each of the tubular members  12 , a clamping apparatus  20  is used at a predetermined location along a length of each of the tubular members  12 . The clamping apparatus  20  is attached to a support structure  22  that provides support and accommodates the clamping apparatus  20  to be attached thereon. In one example, the support structure  22  may be a bracket, housing, a chassis frame, or a wall in the piping layout  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a cross-section of the clamping apparatus  20  is shown The clamping apparatus  20  includes a base bracket  24  that is disposed proximal to the support structure  22 . In other words, the base bracket  24  is attached to the support structure  22 . The base bracket  24  is adapted to engage with a clamping bracket  40 . Further, the base bracket  24  includes a first end  26  adapted to abut a surface  28  of the support structure  22 . In one example, the first end  26  of the base bracket  24  may include a contour and a corresponding contour may be provided on the surface  28  of the support structure  22  to allow the base bracket  24  to abut or engage with the surface  28  of the support structure  22 . The base bracket  24  further includes a second end  30  distal to the first end  26 . The first end  26  and the second end  30  define a width ‘W 1 ’ of the base bracket  24 . Further, the second end  30  includes a base arcuate portion  32 . In one example, the base bracket  24  may be a block having a rectangular cross-section and the base arcuate portion  32  may be formed at the second end  30  of the base bracket  24 . The base bracket  24  further includes a pair of base bracket holes extending between the first end  26  and the second end  30  of the base bracket  24 . The pair of base bracket holes includes a first base bracket hole  36  and a second base bracket hole  38 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     The clamping apparatus  20  also includes a grommet  34  that has a slit  39 . In an example, the grommet  34  may be made of an elastic member, such as rubber. The grommet  34  is embodied as a cylindrical structure, where the slit  39  is provided on a periphery of the grommet  34 . Accordingly, a surface  66  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) of the grommet  34  conforms to the base arcuate portion  32  of the base bracket  24 , when the grommet  34  is engaged with the base bracket  24 . The slit  39  may be understood as a cutout on the periphery and along an axis of the grommet  34 . As it would be understood, the slit  39  defines a pair of mating surfaces. Owing to the presence of the slit  39 , the grommet  34  can be stretched in a manner, such that one mating surface moves away from the other. As such, the slit  39  allows expansion of the grommet  34 . With such construction, the grommet  34  is adapted to conform to an outer surface  64  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) of the tubular member  12 . For example, the grommet  34  can be stretched and disposed coaxially on the tubular member  12  at the predetermined location along the length of the tubular member  12 . 
     The clamping apparatus  20  further includes a clamping bracket  40  to engage with the base bracket  24 . The clamping bracket  40  includes a first end  42  and a second end  44  distal to the first end  42 . In one example, the clamping bracket  40  may also be a block having a rectangular cross-section. The first end  42  and the second end  44  define a width ‘W 2 ’ of the clamping bracket  40 . The first end  42  of the clamping bracket  40  includes a clamping arcuate portion  46  to abut at least a portion of the surface  66  of the grommet  34 . The clamping bracket  40  further includes a pair of clamping bracket holes. The pair of clamping bracket holes include a first clamping bracket hole  48  and a second clamping bracket hole  50 . The pair of clamping bracket holes of the clamping bracket  40  is aligned with the pair of base bracket holes of the base bracket  24 . In an aligned condition of the pair of base bracket holes and clamping bracket holes, the first base bracket hole  36  is aligned with the first clamping bracket hole  48  to receive a first fastening member  52  and the second base bracket hole  38  is aligned with the second clamping bracket hole  50  to receive a second fastening member  54 . In an engaged condition of the clamping apparatus  20 , the clamping bracket  40  is attached with the base bracket  24 . Additionally, the first end  42  of the clamping bracket  40  abuts the second end  30  of the base bracket  24 . Further, in the engaged condition, the base arcuate portion  32  and the clamping arcuate portion  46  define a passageway  55  between the clamping bracket  40  and the base bracket  24  to receive the tubular member  12  coaxially therein. As mentioned earlier, the grommet  34  functions as an intermediary member between the tubular member  12 , and the base bracket  24  and the clamping bracket  40 . 
     The second end  44  of the clamping bracket  40  includes a first recessed portion  56  and a second recessed portion  58 . The first recessed portion  56  and the second recessed portion  58  may be understood as cut-outs provided at either sides of the second end  44  of the clamping bracket  40 . As such, the first recessed portion  56  and the second recessed portion  58  lie at a depth ‘D’ from the second end  44  of the clamping bracket  40 . However, it will be understood that, based on dimensional characteristics of the support structure  22  and a length of each of the first fastening member  52  and the second fastening member  54 , depth ‘D’ and a width of the first recessed portion  56  and the second recessed portion  58  may differ from the second end  44  of the clamping bracket  40 . The depth ‘D’ and width of the first and the second recessed portions  56  and  58  may differ. The first recessed portion  56  includes a first surface  57  and a second surface  59 . The first clamping bracket hole  48  is located at a predetermined distance ‘X’ from the first surface  57 . Further, the first clamping bracket hole  48  extends from the second surface  59  to the first end  42  of the clamping bracket  40 . Similarly, the second recessed portion  58  includes a first surface  61  and a second surface  63 . Accordingly, the second clamping bracket hole  50  is located at a predetermined distance ‘Y’ from the first surface  61 , and the second clamping bracket hole  50  extends from the second surface  63  to the first end  42  of the clamping bracket  40 . The first recessed portion  56  accommodates a head portion  60  of the first fastening member  52  and the second recessed portion  58  accommodates ahead portion  62  of the second fastening member  54 . 
       FIGS. 3 to 5  illustrates the assembly operation of the clamping apparatus  20 . Initially, the predetermined location at which the tubular member  12  needs to be clamped is identified. Subsequently, at the predetermined location, the grommet  34  is expanded with the help of the slit  39 . In an expanded condition, the grommet  34  is coaxially inserted on the tubular member  12 , such that an inner surface not shown) abuts the outer surface  64  of the tubular member  12 . When released, the grommet  34  contracts, such that the mating surfaces defined by the slit  39  approach each other to receive the tubular member  12  coaxially therein, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Subsequently, the base bracket  24  is positioned between the grommet  34  and the support structure  22 , such that the base arcuate portion  32  is coaxially aligned with the surface  66  of the grommet  34 . In addition, the first end  26  of the base bracket  24  abuts the surface  28  of the support structure  22 . Furthermore, the base bracket  24  is positioned, such that the first base bracket hole  36  and the second base bracket hole  38  of the base bracket  24  aligned with holes  68  provided in the support structure  22 . 
     Subsequently, the clamping bracket  40  is positioned on the grommet  34 , such that the clamping arcuate portion  46  abuts the surface  66  of the grommet  34  and the first end  42  of the clamping bracket  40  abuts the second end  30  of the base bracket  24 . Further, the first fastening member  52  and the second fastening member  54  is inserted into the aligned holes for fastening the clamping apparatus  20  to the support structure  22 . For instance, a first nut  70  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) may be used to fasten the first fastening member  52  and a second nut  72  may be used to fasten the second fastening member  54 . In one example, the first fastening member  52  and the second fastening member  54  may be inserted into the aligned holes from the support structure&#39;s  22  side, such that the head portion  60 ,  62  lie behind the support structure  22  and the nuts  70 ,  72  may lie in the recessed portions  56 ,  58 . In another example, strut bolts may also be used to fasten the first fastening member  52  and the second fastening member  54 . 
     The present disclosure describes engaging of the clamping bracket  40  and the base bracket  24  with aid of the pair of base bracket holes in the base bracket  24 , the pair of clamping bracket holes in the clamping bracket  40 , the first fastening member  52 , and the second fastening member  54 . However, it will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the base bracket  24  may include at least one base bracket hole, clamping bracket  40  may include at least one clamping bracket hole. In such a condition, at least one fastening member may be employed to engage the base bracket  24  with the clamping bracket  40 . 
     Various embodiments disclosed herein are to be taken in the illustrative and explanatory sense, and should in no way be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present disclosure describes the clamping apparatus  20  for attaching the tubular members  12  with the support structure  22  of the piping layout  10 . Owing to the first and second recessed portions  56  and  58 , the head portions  60  and  62  of the first and second fastening members  52  and  54 , respectively, are exposed outside the clamping apparatus  20 , which was otherwise embedded within the clamping bracket  40 . In addition, such first recessed portion  56  and the second recessed portion  58  allows torqueing of the first fastening member  52  and the second fastening member  54 , respectively, with minimum efforts, which otherwise required special tools and additional efforts for torqueing. 
     While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.