Clamp

The embodiments of this invention relate to affixing wiring, hydraulic hoses, optical cables, fuel hoses, telephone lines, conduits, ropes, hoses, cables, and other physically sensitive articles into bundles, wherein the bundles may be attached to another structure.

During the industrial revolution, mankind created machines and equipment to increase productivity, lower production costs, and lower labor costs. These economic goals provided the incentive for making machines and equipment more complex to do more functions. Complex machines and equipment require more organized control of the processes being performed by the machines and equipment.

Organized control comprises human control, mechanical controls, and computer controls. Each of these controls requires communication channels for conveying materials and signals from one point to another point. Without uncompromised channels, proper functioning and control does not exist on machines and equipment. Many disasters resulting in the loss of human life have been directly attributable to compromised channels.

Complex machines and equipment can have thousands to millions of channels. In airplanes, submarines, satellites, computers, manufacturing equipment, and space vessels, it is important that these channels occupy a small space. Space concerns, protection of the channels, and organization usually necessitate that the channels be bundled together. These bundles are frequently called harnesses, especially wiring harnesses.

Most channels for conveying materials and signals are physically sensitive to abrasion, jarring, crimping, cutting, and other mechanical forces. Once these channels are compromised, replacement of the channels is usually the best and only means of preventing a disaster. Replacing channels is very expensive. The bundles of channels are generally affixed to some structural support on or within the machine or equipment. The bundling of the channels and the attachment of the bundles to a physical support usually increases the useable life of the channels.

While the bundling of channels is a very good means of installing channels, the means of bundling the channels can cause physical damage to the channels. The clamps, hangers, plastic ties, lacing cord, and other devices for bundling and affixing bundles may damage the channels. The devices used in wiring harnesses are generally categorized as primary and secondary supports.

Primary supports affix the channels together to form a bundle and the bundle is attached to a supporting structure. Secondary supports affix the channels together to form a bundle. Primary supports have to be the correct size. If the primary supports are too small, it will pinch the wiring, tubing, or other channels when installed. Pinched wiring is damaged wiring. If the primary supports are too large, it will not immobilize the wiring. Moving wires cause chaffing of the sensitive surface of the wiring.

The use of primary supports has four main problems. The four main problems are improper installation, excessive handling, modification, and reinstallation. Primary supports run a risk of improper installation. When a clamp is installed, the attachment site of the clamp can pinch the electrical wires and the wires are separated from the remainder of the bundle. Installation can result in installing the wrong size clamp due to human error. The wrong size clamp can result in pinching, chafing, and loose wiring. Improper installation requires reinstallation. Damage of the wiring can happen with each installation and each reinstallation. Excessive handling moves the wiring and reduces the useable time of the wires by abrasion, kinking, damage during movement, and human error.

Modification or updating of the equipment or machine requires wiring to be added to or removed from the bundles. This runs the risk of improper installation, pinching, chaffing, and more handling. Modifications create additional problems of excessive bending of the clamp and removal and replacement of the clamp. Removal and replacement causes wearing of the threaded mounting hole used to affix the clamp. This is especially significant when the supporting structure is malleable or fragile. Reinstallation has all of the problems of installation.

The secondary supports are usually plastic wire ties and lacing cord. Plastic wire ties become brittle over time. Brittle wire ties break on impact. The broken pieces of wire ties can damage the components of the machine or equipment. Aircraft and space vessel manufacturing can leave behind broken pieces or loose objects that may damage other components. This damage is called foreign object damage. Foreign object damage has destroyed expensive equipment and killed people.

The proper plastic wire ties must be installed as some wire ties are UV resistant and other wire ties are not. Plastic wire ties loosen over time and slide on the bundles. Loose wire ties cause abrasion.

Lacing cord is a secondary support with two main problems. Lacing cord is excessively labor intensive during installation and it is difficult to install in certain areas. When installed, lacing cord looks like multiple wraps of cord around the wiring. Multiple wraps take too much time to install. The multiple wraps make installation difficult in cramped spaces and when the wiring is next to a bulkhead, beam, or other structure.

The procedure of installing lacing cord usually requires installing plastic wire ties first. After the wiring is positioned correctly in the equipment with plastic wire ties, the plastic wire ties are later removed and replaced with lacing cord. The removed plastic wire ties result in remnants of plastic wire ties in the equipment to potentially cause foreign object damage.

The aforementioned problems are of great concern to manufacturers and operators trying to maintain their machines, equipment, and manage costs. Labor to replace the primary supports and secondary supports is very expensive. Improper installation drives up costs significantly as improper installation requires reinstallation. The economic result is that installing wiring harnesses are excessively expensive.

Longevity is also a big concern. The aforementioned problems with the current primary supports and secondary supports require that wiring harnesses be replaced frequently. Wiring would last much longer if the primary supports and the secondary supports did not damage the wiring. The industry keeps using the same devices because there are no better replacements or procedures. The current devices cause expensive problems.

The inventor\'s embodiments of primary supports and secondary supports are improvements on the devices being currently used. The inventor\'s embodiments are adjustable to allow the clamp to be correctly sized during installation. This eliminates pinching and chaffing of the wiring harnesses.

The inventor\'s embodiments have a protective cushion that can be overlapped to prevent wiring from touching the clamp. The protective cushion holds the wiring stationary to prevent chafing. This decreases damage to the wiring. The inventor\'s embodiments of the binding clamp are expected to decrease the frequency of replacement. This results in less handling of the wiring harness.

Some of the inventor\'s embodiments of the binding clamp do not require removal of the supporting bolt. This results in less wearing of the threaded mounting hole. The mounting clamp can be etched or made with a high friction surface on the surface surrounding the supporting bolts to prevent rotation of the clamp during removal or installation. The inventor\'s embodiments of the clamp result in less bending of the clamp when wiring is being added or removed from the bundle.

The inventor\'s embodiments of the secondary support device do not become brittle over time like plastic wire ties. This results in less object damage to other components. The inventor\'s embodiments of the secondary support device do not have to be made of plastic. This results in no installation of improper ties due to UV resistance concerns.

The inventor\'s embodiments of the secondary support device do not loosen over time and slide on the harness like plastic wire ties. The inventor\'s embodiments of the secondary support device are not as labor intensive or expensive as the installation of lacing cord. The inventor\'s embodiments of the secondary support device are easier to install in certain areas. This is especially relevant when the bundle is adjacent to a solid object.

With these advantages over the currently used prior art devices, the inventor\'s embodiments are expected to have much better results, lower labor costs, decrease foreign object damage, and decrease expenses.