Piping support

Abstract

This invention provides a pipe support suitable for supporting flexible pipes (especially water supply and hot water pipes) that can change orientation from horizontal to vertical. [Solution] A pipe support 1 for supporting water supply and / or hot water supply pipes 6 to be placed inside a building, wherein the water pipe has a portion that changes direction from horizontal to vertical via a joint 61, and the pipe support is made up of a lower member 2, at least one intermediate member 3, and an upper member 4 connected to each other by a support column 5 with a gap between them, a joint positioned between the lower member and the intermediate member, and the portion that extends in the vertical direction is supported on the inner periphery of openings 32, 42 formed in the intermediate member and the upper member, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe support, and more particularly to a pipe support suitable for supporting, for example, water supply and / or hot water supply pipes installed in a building.

Background Art

[0002] For example, water supply pipes installed in a building often use flexible water supply pipes with an inner pipe made of cross-linked polyethylene coated with foamed polyethylene. The same applies to hot water supply pipes. Water supply and hot water supply pipes are routed, for example, using the space under the floor to reach the kitchen and washroom, and are brought out above the floor at the installation locations of the kitchen and washbasin.

[0003] In general construction, a water pipe installer is responsible for, for example, drilling holes in the floor based on drawings and pulling the water pipe out above the floor. Then, an installer of the kitchen or the like installs the kitchen or the like at a predetermined location and connects the water pipe. The water pipe routed horizontally under the floor uses its flexibility to be curved vertically and pulled out above the floor, so most of the part that comes out above the floor is warped as an extension thereof (see, for example, FIGS. 9 and 10). Even though it has flexibility, it does not have the softness of a rubber hose and has a certain degree of rigidity, so it is difficult to align the tip of the water pipe with the connection part on the kitchen side. If the position of the hole drilled in the floor is misaligned, it will be even more difficult.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] This invention was made based on these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a pipe support suitable for supporting flexible pipes (especially water supply and hot water pipes) that change orientation from horizontal to vertical. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of this invention is as follows: (1) The pipe support of the present invention is a pipe support for supporting water supply and / or hot water supply pipes to be placed inside a building, wherein the water pipe has a portion that changes direction from horizontal to vertical via a joint, and the pipe support is characterized in that a lower member, at least one intermediate member, and an upper member are connected to each other by a support column at intervals, the joint is positioned between the lower member and the intermediate member, and the portion that extends in the vertical direction is supported on the inner periphery of an opening formed in the intermediate member and the upper member, respectively. (2) The pipe support of the present invention is a pipe support for supporting a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has a portion that changes direction from the horizontal to the vertical via a joint, and the pipe support is characterized in that a lower member, at least one intermediate member, and an upper member are connected to each other by a support column at intervals, the joint is positioned between the lower member and the intermediate member, and the portion that extends in the vertical direction is supported on the inner periphery of an opening formed in the intermediate member and the upper member, respectively. (3) The intermediate member and the upper member are each variable in height within the length of the support column and are provided with means for fixing and releasing them from the support column. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a piping support according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the water pipe supported by the pipe support shown above. [Figure 3] These are plan, front, and side views showing the water pipes supported by the above-mentioned pipe supports. [Figure 4]This is a perspective view showing a water pipe supported by a pipe support according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] These are plan, front, and side views showing the water pipes supported by the above-mentioned pipe supports. [Figure 6] This is a photograph taken during the construction of the example. [Figure 7] This is a photograph taken during the construction of the example. [Figure 8] This is a photograph taken during the construction of the example. [Figure 9] A photograph taken during the construction of the comparative example. [Figure 10] A photograph taken during the construction of the comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The following describes a piping support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited in any way by the embodiments described below. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the same components and members in each drawing, although some reference numerals may be omitted for the convenience of drawing.

[0009] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe support 1 according to the first embodiment. The pipe support 1 has a bottom plate 2, an intermediate plate 3, and a top plate 4. The bottom plate 2, intermediate plate 3, and top plate 4 are, for example, plate members with a rectangular main surface. The bottom plate 2, intermediate plate 3, and top plate 4 are connected to each other by support columns 5, spaced apart from each other. There are two support columns 5, positioned symmetrically in the longitudinal direction from the center of the pipe support 1. The support columns 5 and the bottom plate 2 are fixedly joined, and the intermediate plate 3 and the top plate 4 are each made to have through holes drilled in their surfaces through which the support columns 5 are passed, allowing their respective height positions to be varied within the length range of the support columns 5.

[0010] As an example, a threaded rod is used for the support column 5, and the intermediate plate 3 is fixed by sandwiching it from above and below with two nuts 31. Note that the lower nut 31 is not shown in Figure 1. By loosening the two nuts 31 on each support column 5 so that they are separated from each other, the intermediate plate 3 is released, and by changing the height position of the intermediate plate 3 and sandwiching it again with the upper and lower nuts 31, it can be fixed at that height. The top plate 4 is similarly fixed and its height position is adjustable by sandwiching it from above and below with two nuts 41. The lower nut 41 is not shown in Figure 1. The support column 5 may be a fully threaded rod with threads along its entire length, or it may be a rod with threads only within a range where the height of the intermediate plate 3 and top plate 4 is to be adjustable. The screws and nuts 31 and 41 are just one example of a means of fixing and releasing the intermediate plate 3 and top plate 4 to the support column 5. Of course, other means are acceptable as long as they can be fixed and released, and the method is not limited to screws and nuts 31 and 41.

[0011] Furthermore, when using a support column 5 with threads on both the bottom plate 2 side and the entire threaded rod, the support column 5 and the bottom plate 2 can be detached by fixing a nut 21 that can be screwed onto the support column 5 to the surface of the bottom plate 2, for example by welding. This allows each part to be separated, enabling, for example, space-saving during transport or packaging for sale. If the support column 5 does not have threads on the bottom plate 2 side, the support column 5 and the bottom plate 2 may be joined by welding or other means.

[0012] The intermediate plate 3 and the top plate 4 have circular openings 32 and 42 formed on their main surfaces to support the water pipes. Preferably, the openings 32 of the intermediate plate 3 and the openings 42 of the top plate 4 are the same size, and their centers are aligned on the vertical axis. As an example, the openings 32 and 42 are formed to be several millimeters to tens of millimeters larger than the outer diameter of the water pipes. This allows the water pipes to pass through the openings 32 and 42, and also allows the water pipes to be supported by the inner periphery of the openings 32 and 42 so that they do not bend due to their flexibility. Preferably, the intermediate plate 3 and the top plate 4 are made of plate members of the same shape. This allows the same plate member to be used for both the intermediate plate 3 and the top plate 4, and reduces the number of parts that need to be manufactured.

[0013] The bottom plate 2 is also a plate member. As an example, its longitudinal dimension is made longer than that of the intermediate plate 3 and the upper plate 4, and anchor opening holes 22 are formed on both end sides respectively. The pipe support 1 can utilize these anchor opening holes 22 and be fixed with anchors, for example, on the concrete foundation under the floor.

[0014] The bottom plate 2, the intermediate plate 3, the upper plate 4, and the support column 5 are formed of a metal such as stainless steel or plated steel. Other metals may also be used. Further, they may be formed of resin instead of metal. Or the material of each component may be selected as either metal or resin. The bottom plate 2, the intermediate plate 3, and the upper plate 4 are examples of a lower member, an intermediate member, and an upper member respectively. That is, the lower member, the intermediate member, and the upper member are not limited to the plate members described above. Also, a plurality of intermediate members may be provided.

[0015] Subsequently, while referring to FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3 (partial perspective views), a state in which the water pipe 6 is supported by the pipe support 1 of the present embodiment will be described. For both water supply and hot water supply, the water pipe 6 is mainly a cross-linked polyethylene inner pipe coated with foamed polyethylene, but the material is not limited to this. That is, the pipe support 1 can be applied to all water pipes in which the outer periphery of a resin inner pipe is coated with a coating material. However, as shown in FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3, the portion supported by the pipe support 1 is, for example, a portion bent at 90 degrees by a joint 61 such as an elbow. That is, the water pipe 6 supported by the pipe support 1 has a portion that extends with its direction changed from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction via the joint 61. Note that the joint 61 is not limited to an elbow and may be a cheese or the like.

[0016] The joint 61 of the water pipe 6 is positioned between the bottom plate 2 and the intermediate plate 3 of the pipe support 1. Preferably, with the joint 61 resting on the bottom plate 2, lower the intermediate plate 3 until it hits the joint 61 and fix its height position. That is, the joint 61 is sandwiched between the bottom plate 2 and the intermediate plate 3. As a modification, the upper side end of the joint 61 may be fitted into the opening hole 32 of the intermediate plate 3 (the shape and dimensions of the opening hole 32 may be designed accordingly). The top plate 4 is fixed at a position around the upper tip of the support column 5. The bottom plate 2 and the intermediate plate 3 support the part where the direction changes from the horizontal to the vertical direction, while the top plate 4 supports the part extending in the vertical direction at the front. An additional intermediate plate may be provided between the top plate 4 and the intermediate plate 3. In this case, the added intermediate plate serves as reinforcement for supporting the part extending in the vertical direction together with the top plate 4. The addition of the intermediate plate 3 is carried out, for example, when the distance from the installation surface of the pipe support 1 to the floor is long and thus long support columns 5 are used.

[0017] Note that FIGS. 1 to 3 show the pipe support 1 for supporting one water pipe 6, and this water pipe 6 may be for water supply or for both water supply and hot water supply.

[0018] (Second Embodiment) Next, the pipe support 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 (partial perspective views). In kitchens in the kitchen, washbasins in the washroom, etc., many are for connecting two water pipes 6 for water supply and hot water supply. The bathtub basically connects both water supply and hot water supply. Therefore, it is often the case that both of the two water pipes 6 for water supply and hot water supply are drawn out onto the floor through a single hole drilled in the floor. The pipe support 10 of this embodiment is configured such that one pipe support 10 can support two water pipes 6 for water supply and hot water supply.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, the structure itself for supporting the water pipe 6 is the same as that of the pipe support 1 in the first embodiment. Therefore, for the same components, the re - explanation by attaching the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 3 is omitted.

[0020] In this embodiment, the pipe support 10 has longer longitudinal dimensions for the bottom plate 2, intermediate plate 3, and top plate 4 than those shown in Figures 1 to 3. Two circular openings 32 and 42 are formed on the main surfaces of the intermediate plate 3 and the top plate 4, respectively, for supporting the water supply and hot water pipes 6. The openings 32 in the intermediate plate 3 and the openings 42 in the top plate 4 are preferably formed to the same dimensions, as in the first embodiment, and their centers are aligned on the vertical axis. Since the water supply and hot water pipes 6 often have the same outer diameter, it is possible to freely choose which opening 32 or 42 to pass the water supply / hot water pipes 6 through. If the outer diameters are significantly different, it is preferable to make the inner diameters of the openings 32 and 42 different accordingly.

[0021] In this embodiment, the pipe support 10 is configured to support two water pipes 6, one for cold water supply and one for hot water supply. However, the number of openings 32 and 42 may be increased to support three or more water pipes 6. Furthermore, the bottom plate 2, intermediate plate 3, and top plate 4 are not limited to rectangular plate members, but may also have other shapes such as L-shape or arc shape.

[0022] Figures 6 to 10 are examples of photographs taken at an actual construction site. Figure 6 shows a scene with both the pipe support 1 of the first embodiment and the pipe support 10 of the second embodiment installed. Figure 7 shows the pipe support 10 of the second embodiment from a different angle, and Figure 8 shows the above-floor portion of the two water pipes 6 for cold water supply and hot water supply supported by the pipe support 10 of the second embodiment. On the other hand, Figures 9 and 10 are comparative examples, showing the above-floor portion of the two water pipes 6 for cold water supply and hot water supply attached to a wall using a conventional construction method. As can be seen by comparing Figures 8 and 10, the embodiment supported using pipe supports 1 and 10 has less bending in the above-floor portion. As a result, the burden of connecting the water pipes 6 to connecting equipment such as kitchens and washbasins can be reduced.

[0023] The first and second embodiments described above are preferred examples applied to water supply and hot water pipes 6. However, the pipe supports 1 and 10 are not limited to water supply pipes 6, but may also be applied to flexible pipes. That is, the pipe supports 1 and 10 of the first and second embodiments are suitable for supporting flexible pipes (especially water supply and hot water pipes) that can change orientation from the horizontal to the vertical.

[0024] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments, it will be obvious to those with ordinary skill in the art that various substitutions, modifications, and changes to the form and details can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims for utility model registration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1. Piping support (first embodiment) 10. Piping support (second embodiment) 2 Bottom plate 3 Intermediate plate 4 Top plate 5 pillars

Claims

1. A piping support for water supply and / or hot water supply pipes installed within a building, The aforementioned water pipe has a portion that extends from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction via a joint, The pipe support is characterized in that a lower member, at least one intermediate member, and an upper member are connected to each other by a support column at intervals, the joint is positioned between the lower member and the intermediate member, and the vertically extending portion is supported on the inner periphery of an opening formed in the intermediate member and the upper member, respectively.

2. A pipe support for supporting flexible piping, The aforementioned piping has a portion that extends from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction via a joint, The pipe support is characterized in that a lower member, at least one intermediate member, and an upper member are connected to each other by a support column at intervals, the joint is positioned between the lower member and the intermediate member, and the vertically extending portion is supported on the inner periphery of an opening formed in the intermediate member and the upper member, respectively.

3. The pipe support according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the intermediate member and the upper member are each variable in height within the length of the support column, and are provided with means for fixing and releasing them from the support column.

Images