Plumbing bracket assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534709-B2
Application number	US-201414551472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A plumbing bracket assembly has a plastic main bracket body and a telescoping bracket. The telescoping bracket runs through the main bracket body, and is able to extend to allow the bracket assembly to be secured to structure (such as studs) at both ends, over a range of distances between structure elements. The bracket body is initially able to slide along the telescoping bracket, for desired positioning, but may be locked in place using screws on the main bracket body. Hardware, such a hose clamp and multiple pipe clamps, is initially coupled to the main bracket body. The main bracket body may have a central depression for receiving a relatively large pipe run, and notches or depressions on opposite sides of the central depression, for receiving smaller pipe runs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plumbing bracket assembly configured to secure pipe runs to a structure, the plumbing bracket assembly comprising:
a bracket body with a plurality of depressions configured to support a plurality of the pipe runs;
hardware configured to secure at least one pipe run of the plurality of pipe runs to the bracket body; and
a telescoping bracket configured to secure the bracket body to the structure, the telescoping bracket being mechanically coupled to the bracket body, and including a first telescoping element slidably nested within a second telescoping element;
wherein the bracket body includes a first ridge and a second ridge separated by a central portion of the bracket body; wherein the first ridge includes a first slot and the second ridge includes a second slot to receive the hardware and secure the hardware to the bracket body with the hardware in a first orientation; and wherein, with the hardware removed from the first slot and the second slot and disposed in a second orientation, the hardware is configured to connect to the central portion to secure the at least one pipe run to the bracket.

2. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket body is made of plastic.

3. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket body has a central depression configured to receive a first pipe run of the plurality of pipe runs.

4. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 3 , wherein the bracket body has additional depressions configured to receive additional pipe runs of the plurality of pipe runs pipes, each of the additional depressions being smaller than the central depression.

5. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 4 , wherein the bracket body has multiple of the additional depressions on each side of the central depression, enabling a relative spacing of the first and additional pipe runs pipes, as secured to the bracket body, to be varied.

6. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket body is independently slidable along the telescoping bracket.

7. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first telescoping element and the second telescoping element extend out of opposite respective ends out the bracket body.

8. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first end section and the second end section have holes for receiving fasteners to mount the telescoping bracket to the structure.

9. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , further comprising fasteners in the bracket body that are configured to lock the telescoping bracket in place relative to the bracket body.

10. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hardware includes a central hose clamp that fits through part of the bracket body.

11. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hardware includes at least one pipe clamp.

12. A plumbing bracket assembly configured to support pipe runs relative to a structure, the pipe runs including a first pipe run and a plurality of second pipe runs, with each of the plurality of second pipe runs having a smaller diameter than the first pipe run, the plumbing bracket assembly comprising:
a plastic bracket body configured to support the pipe runs, the plastic bracket body including a slot extending along a length of the plastic bracket body;
hardware configured to secure the pipe runs to the plastic bracket body; and
a telescoping bracket configured to secure the plastic bracket body to the structure, the telescoping bracket including a first bracket element and a second bracket element that are slidably nested together and slidable relative to one another to change a length of the telescoping bracket, the first bracket element and second bracket element being inserted into the slot to slidably couple the telescoping bracket to the plastic bracket body;
the bracket body defining a central depression configured to receive the first pipe run, with a hose clamp mechanically coupled to the bracket body and configured to secure the first pipe run in the central depression;
the bracket body defining additional depressions smaller than the central depression, on either side of the central depression configured to receive the plurality of second pipe runs;
the first bracket element including a first bendable portion and the second bracket element including a second bendable portion, the first bendable portion and the second bendable portion each including fastener holes to secure the plumbing bracket assembly to the structure.

13. A plumbing bracket assembly for securing pipe runs to a structure, the plumbing bracket assembly comprising:
a bracket body with a plurality of depressions configured to support a plurality of the pipe runs;
hardware configured to secure at least one pipe run of the plurality of pipe runs to the bracket body; and
a telescoping bracket configured to secure the bracket body to the structure, the telescoping bracket being mechanically coupled to the bracket body, and including a first telescoping element slidably nested within a second telescoping element;
a central portion of the bracket body including a first hole and a set of second holes;
a protrusion on the hardware being configured to engage the first hole to secure the hardware to the central portion with the hardware in a first orientation; and
the hardware being configured, with the protrusion removed from the first hole and the hardware in a second orientation, to engage the set of second holes to secure the at least one pipe run to the bracket.

14. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket body is configured to support supports the plurality of the pipe runs on a first side of the bracket body, and includes a slot on a second side of the bracket body; and
wherein the first telescoping element and second telescoping element are disposed within the slot on the second side of the bracket body to slidably couple the telescoping bracket to the bracket body.

15. The plumbing bracket assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first telescoping element includes a first end section configured to bend relative to other parts of the first telescoping element to mount the telescoping bracket to the structure; and
wherein the second telescoping element includes a second end section configured to bend relative to other parts of the second telescoping element to mount the telescoping bracket to the structure.

Assignees

• Erico Int Corp

Inventors

• Wilson Jeffrey A
• Osborn Eric C
• Ambrogio Nicholas J
• Wilson Eric J

Classifications

• E21F17/02

  Suspension devices for tubes or the like, e.g. for ventilating ducts (supporting pipes, cables or protective tubing in general F16L3/00 - F16L7/00) · CPC title

• F16L3/22

  specially adapted for supporting a number of parallel pipes at intervals · CPC title

• F16L3/227 Primary

  each pipe being supported by a separate element fastened to the base · CPC title

• Y10T29/4995

  Nonthreaded · CPC title

• F16L3/1091

  with two members, the two members being fixed to each other with fastening members on each side · CPC title