Hook closure and pipe clip with such a hook closure

- 28036 Madrid

IS 2 228 293 T3

DESCRIPTION

Hook and loop closure with said closure.

The invention relates to a hook fastener according to the preamble of claim 1, and to a clamp for pipes, in particular to a plastic clamp for pipes made by injection molding, provided together with said hook fastener.

Patent NL-B-174 294 describes a pipe clamp provided with a hook closure. In this known pipe clamp it is usual for the clamp segments to hug the pipe, and to engage each other by the hooks that form the hook closure when a pipe is placed between the clamp segments and pressed with the clamp towards the base of pipe clamp.

The present applicant describes in WO 99/08032 an improvement of the previous clamp. In this publication, a pipe clamp is described in which the hook closure corresponds to the preamble of claim 1, with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In the case of this known hook fastener, a locking projection is used which is molded in the center on top of the sloping surface of the outward-facing hook, and a corresponding locking recess is also used for the other segment. clamp, next to the inward-facing hook. If this known hook closure is closed, the locking projection is inserted into the corresponding locking recess. As a result, mutual lateral movement of the hooks in opposite directions in the plane of the hook surfaces is blocked, for example in the longitudinal direction of the pipe when the pipe is housed in the clamp.

Plastic pipe clamps according to patents NL-B-175 294 and WO 99/08032 are designed for mass production, preferably by injection molding, in a suitably shaped injection mold.

A disadvantage of the known hook closure according to WO 99/08032 appears to be its manufacture. In particular, it appears that the mold required for the injection molding of the pipe clamp is complex and consequently expensive, in particular due to the design of its hook closure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hook fastener that can be manufactured in a technically and economically attractive way. Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe clamp with such a hook fastener.

The present invention achieves the aforementioned objectives by providing a hook closure according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that each hook is composed of hook halves arranged side by side and contiguously with each other. , said halves being arranged in a slightly staggered manner relative to each other, such that each hook half forms a hook half surface, and a first abutment surface of the referred hook extends between the half hook surfaces staggered relative to each other, and such that each half hook further forms a dividing half surface and a second abutment surface of the referred hook extends between the dividing half surfaces arranged in a staggered manner relative to each other, so that - when the hook closure is closed - the first abutment surfaces and the second abutment surfaces block lateral movement in the opposite direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the hook closure, the hook halves of one or more hooks of the first part or of the second part are arranged in a staggered manner so that each hook half forms a half surface, said half surfaces being arranged in a staggered manner. staggered shape relative to each other, the second abutment surface of the referred hook extending between the staggered half hook surfaces, and the hook halves of one or more hooks being provided in the other part - viewed in the closing direction, beyond the corresponding hook surface - arranged in a staggered manner so that each hook half surface forms a dividing half surface , the second abutment surface of the said hook extending between the dividing half surfaces arranged in a staggered manner.

With particular preference, the first and second abutment surfaces of a hook extend in a single common plane. In a preferred embodiment, the first part and the second part are made by injection molding of plastic material into a suitable mold, said mold comprising a first mold part and a second mold part, said mold parts respectively defining a cavity for a hook half and for the other hook half of a hook, each of them being in mutual contact during injection into the mold by means of a partial face, the partial face coinciding with the common face of the first and second abutment surfaces of a hook. This embodiment enables a simple and advantageous realization of the mold, and gives excellent results during injection molding of the hook fastener. The hook fastener can be manufactured particularly at high manufacturing speeds.

The hook closure according to the invention can be used on various products.

In a particularly advantageous application, the hook closure forms part of a plastic pipe clamp.

In particular, the hook fastener forms part of a pipe clamp according to claims 7 or 8.

Finally, the invention also relates to an injection molding process of said hook fastener and of a pipe clamp provided with said hook fastener.

The invention will be described in more detail below, with reference to the drawings of a preferred embodiment of the clamp for pipes with a hook closure according to the invention. In these drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a pipe clamp according to the invention, in open position, Figure 2 shows the pipe clamp of Figure 1 from the other side, Figure 3 shows a side view of the pipe clamp of figure 1 in a first closed position,

Figure 4 shows a side view of the pipe clamp of Figure 1 in a second closed position,

ES 2 228 293 T3 Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the hook facing outwards of the left segment of the pipe clamp shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, also showing schematically the halves of the mold of corresponding injection, Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the hook facing inward of the end of the right segment of the pipe clamp shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, and figure 7 shows a schematic perspective view of the hooks of figures 5 and 6 in the first closed position of the clamp for pipes according to figure 3.

The plastic pipe clamp 1 shown in the drawings serves to fix a cylindrical pipe or the like to a support, for example a wall or a support structure.

The pipe clamp 1 comprises a base 3 which is designed to fix the pipe clamp 1 to the support. For example, the base 3 can be made to have an opening extending between the lower face and the upper face of the base, and a transverse groove extending transversely of the opening. The cross slot is designed to receive a metal nut, the threaded hole of which is aligned with the opening. A screw attached to the wall or support structure can be inserted through the opening and screwed into the nut.

The base 3 extends two vertical arms 4, each of them being connected by an articulated connection 5 to a segment 7, 8 of the bracket. Each articulated connection 5 forms an axis of rotation, which in Figures 1, 4 and 3 is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. This means that the axes of rotation of the articulated connections 5 are located parallel to each other.

Each segment 7, 8 of the clamp has a substantially semicircular supporting surface for the pipe, said supporting surfaces facing the supporting surface of the other element of the clamp.

The segments 7,8 of the clamp are attached to the base 3 by the articulated connections 5 so that the segments 7, 8 of the clamp embrace the pipe when it is pressed with it towards the base 3 between the segments 7, 8 of the clamp.

It can be seen from the drawings that the end of the segment 7 of the bracket furthest from the base 3 is provided with an outward-facing hook 10, and that the end of the other segment 8 of the bracket furthest from the base 3 is provided of a first inward-facing hook 20. Clamp segment 8 is also provided with a second inward-facing hook 30, located closer to hinge connection 5 and which can also engage with hook 10. Figures 3 and 4 show that, of this Thus, the clamp 1 has two closing positions to accommodate pipes of different sizes.

When pressed with a pipe on the clamp 1, the two hooks 10, 20 or 10, 30 hook one after the other.

The hinged connections 5 are here made of the same injection molding plastic as the segments 7, 8 and the base 3 of the clamp 1. The hinged connections 5 could also be made from another material. This is possible, for example, thanks to the use of known multi-component injection molding technology, where two or more different types of plastics are injected into the same mold. It is also possible to first manufacture the articulated connections 5 independently and later place them in an injection mold, then injecting the remaining parts of the pipe clamp 1 into the articulated connections 5. Of course, the base and the segments 7, 8 of The clamp can also be manufactured first, and then placed in a suitable mold, after which the hinge connections are injected into them.

The pipe clamp 1 is manufactured here by injection molding a suitable plastic in an injection mold.

Figure 5 shows hook 10 on an enlarged scale. The outwardly facing hook 10 is formed at the end of the clamp segment 7, partially shown.

The hook 10 is composed of two hook halves 11, 12 which are arranged next to each other and contiguously, said two hook halves 11, 12 being slightly staggered with respect to each other. Each hook half 11, 12 forms a half hook surface 13a, 13be, said half hook surfaces 13a, 13b extending transversely to the closing direction of the segments 7, 8 of the clamp.

The hook half surfaces 13a, 13b are staggered relative to each other in the closing direction. The lateral edge of the hook half 11 forms a first abutment surface 14 of the hook 10 between the hook half surfaces 13a, 13b.

Each hook half 11, 12 further forms half inclined surface 15a, 15b of hook 10. In this example, said half inclined surfaces 15a, 15b extend from a common rectilinear leading edge 16 of hook 10, in this case surface 15b being slightly more inclined than the surface 15. In a variant, the leading edge 16 has a step in the center, and the inclination of the half surfaces 15a, 15b is the same.

A second abutment surface 17 of the aforementioned hook 10 extends between the half surfaces 15a, 15b located in a staggered manner with respect to each other.

The abutment surfaces 14, 17 of the hook 10 extend in an imaginary common plane.

Hook 20 is shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 6. Inwardly facing hook 20 is molded into the end of bracket segment 8, shown partially.

The hook 20 is composed of two hook halves 21, 22 arranged side by side and contiguously, said hook halves being slightly staggered relative to each other. Each hook half 21, 22 forms a hook half surface 23a, 23b, said hook half surfaces 23a, 23b extending transversely to the closing direction of the segments 7, 8 of the clamp.

The hook half surfaces 23a, 23b are staggered relative to each other in the closing direction. Between the hook half surfaces 23a, 23b, the lateral edge of the hook half 21 forms a first abutment surface 24 of the related hook 20.

Each hook half 21, 22 further forms an inclined surface half 25a, 25b of the hook 20.

IS 2 228 293 T3

In this example, said inclined surface halves 25a, 25b form a smooth single surface with no center step.

Each hook half 21, 22 further forms a corresponding dividing half surface 26a, 26b. These dividing half surfaces 26a, 26b extend - seen from the end of segment 8 of the clamp towards the articulated connection 5- from the outer end of the half hook surfaces, and connect with the approximately semicircular inner surface of segment 8 of the clamp.

The dividing half surfaces 26a, 26b are staggered relative to each other, such that a second abutment surface 27 of the aforementioned hook 20 extends between the dividing half surfaces 26a, 26b.

The first and second abutment surfaces 23a, 23b and 27a, 27b of hook 20 are arranged in a common imaginary plane.

When the pipe clamp 1 is closing, the hook 20 slides on the surface 15a, 15b until the hook surfaces of the hooks 10 and 20 engage one after the other.

In the first closing position of the pipe clamp (see Figures 3 and 7) the hook half surfaces 13a, 13b engage behind the hook half surfaces of the hook 20. The half surfaces 15a, 15b of the hook 10 are also arranged against the dividing half surfaces 26a, 26b of the hook 20.

In the illustration of Figure 7, it can be seen that the abutment surfaces 13a, 13b and 23a, 23b are arranged next to each other and that the abutment surfaces 17, 27 are also arranged next to each other. other. This ensures that - when the hook closure is closed - the first abutment surfaces 14, 24 block a mutual lateral movement of the hooks in a lateral direction in the plane of the hook surfaces, and that the second abutment surfaces 17, 27 block mutual lateral movement of hooks 10, 20 in the opposite direction.

Hook 30 is designed in substantially the same way as hook 20, so no further explanation will be necessary. Again, if the hook 10 is engaged with the hook 30, the mutual movement of said hooks 10, 20 in directions transverse to the closing direction is blocked by the interaction of the abutment surfaces of the two hooks 10, 30.

Figure 5 schematically shows a first mold part 101, a second mold part 102, and a third mold part 103 of a mold for injection molding pipe clamp 1 from a suitable plastic.

The mold parts 101, 102, 102 together delimit a mold cavity for the end of the segment 7 of the clamp, in which the hook 10 is provided.

In this case, the mold cavity in the mold part 101, which is bounded on the inner circumference by the mold part 103, defines the left hook half 11. The mold cavity in the mold part 102, which is similarly delimited on the inner circumference by the mold part 103, it defines the right hook half 12. The partial surface 104, with which the mold parts 101, 102, are firmly arranged against each other during injection molding, here coincides with the common surface of the first and second abutment surfaces 14, 17 of the hook. 10 to be manufactured.

It will be clear that the mold for forming the other segment 8 of the clamp with the corresponding hooks 20, 30 will also have several mold parts, possibly - in a practical embodiment of the mold - the same mold parts 101,102,203. In this case, a mold part would form the left hook half 21, and the mold part lying against it would form the right hook half 22. The hook halves 30 are obtained in the same way.

In practice, a visible burr 105 appears in the segment 7 of the clamp, on the outside. In Figure 2 the same burr can be seen on the other side of the pipe clamp 1 (burr 106), since the segment 8 of the clamp and the hooks 20, 30 are also manufactured in this way. Again, the partial surface of the mold parts arranged against each other coincide with the abutment surfaces 24 of the hooks 20 and 30.