Bracket assemblies and methods of assembling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201843-A1
Application number	US-201514594428-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bracket assembly is provided that includes a first strap, a second strap, and a first fastener. The first strap has an openable aperture including a cutout operatively connected to a keyhole. The second strap has a first aperture positioned opposite the cutout. The first fastener has a head, a neck, and a shaft. The neck is receivable in the openable aperture of the first strap with the shaft received in the first aperture of the second strap. The first fastener and the openable aperture allow the shaft to pass vertically between the cutout and the keyhole, but prevent the neck from vertically passing through between the cutout and the keyhole. The first fastener and the openable aperture allow the head to pass axially through only the keyhole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A bracket assembly comprising:
a first strap with an openable aperture including a cutout operatively connected to a keyhole; a second strap with a first aperture positioned opposite the cutout; and a first fastener having a head, a neck, and a shaft, the neck being receivable in the openable aperture of the first strap with the shaft received in the first aperture of the second strap, the first fastener and the openable aperture being configured to allow the shaft to pass vertically between the cutout and the keyhole, but being configured to prevent the neck from vertically passing through between the cutout and the keyhole, and the first fastener and the openable aperture being configured to allow the head to pass axially through only the keyhole.

2 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the openable aperture of the first strap and the first aperture of the second strap are closed in an upward direction, a downward direction, and both lateral directions.

3 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a passageway between the cutout and neck, the passageway being configured to allow the shaft to pass vertically through the passageway between the cutout and the keyhole.

4 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cutout and neck have a square profile.

5 . The bracket assembly of claim 4 , wherein the keyhole and the head have a circular profile.

6 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the openable aperture of the first strap is an upper aperture or a lower aperture.

7 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the openable aperture is above or below the keyhole.

8 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first strap has an adjustable aperture and the second strap has a second aperture corresponding in position to the adjustable aperture.

9 . The bracket assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a second fastener that is received in the adjustable aperture of the first strap and the second aperture of the second strap.

10 . The bracket assembly of claim 9 , wherein the adjustable aperture of the first strap comprises a plurality of nested cutouts, the second fastener and the adjustable aperture being configured to allow a shaft of the second fastener to vertically pass between the plurality of nested cutouts, but being configured to prevent a neck of the lower fastener from vertically passing between the plurality of nested cutouts.

11 . The bracket assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second straps and the first and second fasteners are removably staked in a predetermined position with respect to one another to ensure the neck of the first fastener remains within the cutout and the neck of the second fastener remains within a respective one of the plurality of nested cutouts.

12 . The bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the adjustable aperture of the first strap and the second aperture of the second strap are closed in an upward direction, a downward direction, and both lateral directions.

13 . The bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first strap and the first fastener are removably staked in a predetermined position with respect to one another to ensure the neck of the first fastener remains within the cutout.

14 . A method of assembling a bracket assembly around a support, comprising:
moving a first fastener and a first strap axially with respect to one another so that a neck of the first fastener is free of a cutout in the first strap; moving the first fastener in a first vertical direction so that the shaft passes through from the cutout into a keyhole; moving the first fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that a head of the first fastener passes through the keyhole to form an opening; moving the support through the opening into a space between the first strap and a second strap; moving the first fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that the head of the first fastener passes back through the keyhole with the shaft in the keyhole; moving the upper fastener in a second vertical direction, opposite the first vertical direction, so that the shaft passes from the keyhole into the cutout; and moving the first fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that the neck of the first fastener is in the cutout in the first strap.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising unstaking the first fastener and the first strap from one another before moving the first fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that the neck of the first fastener is free of the cutout in the first strap.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
moving a second fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that a neck of the second fastener is free of a respective cutout of a plurality of nested cutouts in the first strap; moving the second fastener in the first or second vertical direction so that the shaft passes through the adjacent cutouts until the second fastener is proximate the support; and moving the second fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that the neck of the lower fastener is in another respective cutout in the first strap.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising unstaking the second fastener and the first strap from one another before moving the second fastener and the first strap axially with respect to one another so that the neck of the lower fastener is free of the respective cutout of the plurality of nested cutouts in the first strap.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first fastener is above the second fastener.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second fastener is above the first fastener.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first vertical direction is upwards or downwards.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Adams Jonathan Oral

Classifications

• H01C1/014

  the resistor being suspended between and being supported by two supporting sections (H01C1/016 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01C7/12

  Overvoltage protection resistors; Arresters · CPC title

• F16B2/12

  using sliding jaws · CPC title

• F16M13/02 Primary

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title