Wiring and Pipe Material Holder

Abstract

To provide a wiring / piping holding tool easier in a lock releasing operation.SOLUTION: A wiring / piping material holding tool includes a first holding piece, and a second holding piece connected to the first holding piece to surround and hold a wiring / piping material along an arrangement direction. The second holding piece is overlapped to the first holding piece from an outer side of a holding space. An outer face of the first holding piece and an inner face of the second holding piece are provided with a first locking portion and a second locking portion locked to each other to keep overlapping of the first holding piece and the second holding piece. The first locking portion and the second locking portion are constituted to permit relative movement in an advance direction to crease an overlap amount of the first holding piece and the second holding piece, to restrict relative movement in a retracting direction to reduce the overlap amount, and to release the locking state by relative movement of the second locking portion to an outer side of the holding space with respect to the first locking portion. The second holding piece is provided with a releasing operation portion projecting in the arrangement direction to be opposed to an outer peripheral surface of the held wiring / piping material with a clearance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiring and pipe material holder for holding wiring and pipe materials.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various wiring and pipe material holders have been used for the purpose of supporting and arranging wiring and pipe materials on wall surfaces such as building construction surfaces and column surfaces of operation materials fixed to the wall surfaces.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring and piping fastener for gripping wiring and piping materials and fixing them to a structure such as a wall. In the following paragraph, the reference numerals of Patent Document 1 are shown in parentheses. The wiring and piping fastener (1) comprises an engaging portion (11) that engages with a bent piece (45) of a support material (41), and a gripping portion (21) that grips an electric conduit (51) with one gripping piece (23) and the other gripping piece (24) that engage with each other. One gripping piece (23) is composed of an upper protruding piece (25) that locks with the other gripping piece (24) and a lower protruding piece (26) that abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the electric conduit (51). The other gripping piece (24) is composed of an upper protruding piece (27) and a lower protruding piece (28) that locks with the one gripping piece (23). The gripping portion (21) has locking teeth (25a) and locking teeth (28a) on the surfaces of the opposing upper protruding piece (25) and lower protruding piece (28) of the pair of gripping pieces (23), respectively. In addition, in the portion between the upper protruding piece (25) and the lower protruding piece (28) where the locking teeth (25a, 28a) are not formed, an insertion groove (29) is provided, which has a width smaller than the tip of the flathead screwdriver, into which the tip of the flathead screwdriver is inserted from a direction perpendicular to the engagement direction of the gripping piece (23). Then, the tip (63) of the flathead screwdriver (62) is inserted into the insertion groove (29) between the upper protruding piece (25) and the lower protruding piece (28) in a manner approximately parallel to each protruding piece (25, 28). When the flathead screwdriver (62) is rotated counterclockwise, both ends of the tip (63) come into contact with the lower surface of the upper protruding piece (25) and the upper surface of the lower protruding piece (28) of the insertion groove (29), respectively. When the flathead screwdriver (62) is rotated further counterclockwise, the upper protruding piece (25) is pushed upward and rotated counterclockwise, moving to the left while moving upward and away from the lower protruding piece (28). As a result, the locking teeth (28a) of the lower protruding piece (28) and the locking teeth (25a) of the upper protruding piece (25) are released. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-298154 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The wiring and piping material fixing device (wiring and piping material holder) described in Patent Document 1 is configured to release the locking of the gripping piece using a tool such as a flathead screwdriver in order to grip or release the wiring and piping material. However, in this wiring and piping material fixing device, the insertion groove into which the tool is inserted is open in the axial direction of the wiring and piping material being gripped. Therefore, it was necessary to hold the tool parallel to the wiring and piping material, insert it into the insertion groove, and then rotate it. Consequently, interference between the tool or the worker's fingers, etc., and the wiring and piping material was unavoidable during the tool-based locking release operation, making the process of inserting the tool into the insertion groove and the process of rotating the tool while it is inserted difficult. In other words, a challenge for conventional wiring and piping material holders is to enable a simpler locking release operation.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a wiring and piping material holder that makes the locking and releasing operation easier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The wiring and piping material holder described in claim 1 is a wiring and piping material holder for holding wiring and piping materials, A first retaining piece extending from the base to the tip, It comprises a second retaining piece extending from the base end to the tip, and connected to the first retaining piece so as to cooperate with the first retaining piece to surround the wiring / piping material and hold it along the installation direction, The tip portion of the first retaining piece and the tip portion of the second retaining piece overlap to form an annular retaining space surrounding the wiring and piping material, and the second retaining piece overlaps the first retaining piece from the outside of the retaining space. The outer surface of the first retaining piece and the inner surface of the second retaining piece are provided with a first locking portion and a second locking portion that lock together to maintain the overlapping of the first retaining piece and the second retaining piece. The first locking portion and the second locking portion are configured to allow relative movement in the direction of travel that increases the amount of polymerization of the first retaining piece and the second retaining piece, to restrict relative movement in the direction of retraction that decreases the amount of polymerization, and to release the locking state when the second locking portion moves relative to the first locking portion to the outside of the retaining space. The second retaining piece is characterized by having a release operation portion that protrudes in the installation direction so as to face the outer surface of the wiring / piping material to be held with a gap in between.

[0008] The wiring and piping material holder according to claim 2 is the wiring and piping material holder according to claim 1, wherein the gap is of a size that allows an operating tool to be inserted between the outer surface of the wiring and piping material held in the holding space and the release operation part. The operating tool is inserted into the gap, the base end of the operating tool is brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material, and the tip end of the operating tool is brought into contact with the release operating part. When the operating tool is tilted with the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material as the fulcrum and the release operating part as the point of action, the release operating part moves away from the wiring / piping material, and the second locking part moves relative to the first locking part to the outside of the holding space.

[0009] The wiring and piping material holder according to claim 3 is the wiring and piping material holder according to claim 2, wherein the first locking portion and the second locking portion consist of a locking tooth row made up of a plurality of locking teeth formed in the direction of the progression of the overlap, and as the amount of overlap increases, the number of locking teeth that engage with each other in the locking tooth row increases or the locking position changes.

[0010] The wiring and piping material holder described in claim 4 is a wiring and piping material holder described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first retaining piece is provided with a fixing portion that is fixed to a structure.

[0011] The wiring and piping material holder according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the wiring and piping material holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the base end of the first retaining piece and the base end of the second retaining piece are rotatably connected by a hinge.

[0012] The wiring and piping material holder according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the wiring and piping material holder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the release operation portion protrudes from both sides of the second retaining piece in the arrangement direction.

[0013] The wiring and piping material holder according to claim 7 is the wiring and piping material holder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tip portion of the second holding piece has two separating pieces having independent free ends, and each of the two separating pieces is provided with the second locking portion. The second locking portion of one separating piece and the second locking portion of the other separating piece are independently locked and unlocked to the first locking portion. The release operation section is characterized by being formed on each of the two separating pieces. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the wiring and piping material holder described in claim 1, the second retaining piece is provided with a release operation portion that protrudes in the installation direction so as to face the outer surface of the wiring and piping material to be held with a gap in between. That is, since the release operation portion protrudes in the installation direction from the second retaining piece that extends in the circumferential direction of the wiring and piping material, the gap between the release operation portion and the outer surface of the wiring and piping material is open at least in the circumferential direction of the wiring and piping material. The user can release the locking of the first and second locking portions by operating the release operation portion with their fingers or an axial operating tool, etc., from a direction intersecting or perpendicular to the wiring and piping material, using this gap to lift it outwards (radially outwards) from the retaining space, thereby separating the second locking portion from the first locking portion in the radial direction of the wiring and piping material. At this time, since there is sufficient space for the locking release operation in the direction intersecting or perpendicular to the wiring and piping material, the locking release operation can be performed without interference from the wiring and piping material extending in the installation direction. Therefore, the wiring and piping material holder of the present invention facilitates the locking and releasing operation.

[0015] According to the wiring and piping material holder described in claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, by inserting an operating tool into the gap between the outer surface of the wiring and piping material held in the holding space and the release operation part, the locking release operation can be performed more easily using the operating tool. In particular, by inserting the operating tool into the gap, bringing the base end of the operating tool into contact with the outer surface of the wiring and piping material, and bringing the tip end of the operating tool into contact with the release operation part, and then tilting the operating tool using the outer surface of the wiring and piping material as the fulcrum and the release operation part as the point of application, it is possible to perform the locking release operation with less force by utilizing the principle of leverage.

[0016] According to the wiring and piping material holder described in claim 3, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1 or 2, the number of locking teeth that engage with each other in the locking tooth row increases or the locking position changes to the back side in the direction of travel, depending on the amount of overlap of the first retaining piece and the second retaining piece, thereby effectively improving the holding force of the wiring and piping material.

[0017] According to the wiring and pipe material holder described in claim 4, in addition to the effects of any of the inventions of claims 1 to 3, with the first holding piece fixed to the structure via the fixing portion, the release operation portion of the second holding piece can be operated without supporting the first holding piece, and the unlocking operation can be easily performed.

[0018] According to the wiring and pipe material holder described in claim 5, in addition to the effects of any of the inventions of claims 1 to 4, since the proximal ends of the first holding piece and the second holding piece are rotatably connected by a hinge, when performing the unlocking operation, the second holding piece can be operated to rotate with respect to the first holding piece without gripping both the first and second holding pieces, and the unlocking operation can be easily performed.

[0019] According to the wiring and pipe material holder described in claim 6, in addition to the effects of any of the inventions of claims 1 to 5, since the operation release portion protrudes from both sides in the arrangement direction of the second holding piece, the unlocking operation can be performed from both directions in the arrangement direction of the wiring and pipe material.

[0020] According to the wiring and pipe material holder described in claim 7, in addition to the effects of any of the inventions of claims 1 to 6, the second locking portions of the two separating pieces are respectively locked to and unlocked from the first locking portion independently. That is, even if the locking of the second locking portion of one separating piece to the first locking portion is unintentionally released, the locking state of the second locking portion of the other separating piece to the first locking portion is maintained, so that it is possible to effectively prevent the holding of the wiring and pipe material from being unexpectedly released. On the other hand, to intentionally release the holding of the wiring and pipe material, by operating the release operation portions formed on each of the two separating pieces, it is possible to easily perform the unlocking operation for each of the two separating pieces.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] (a) A schematic perspective view of the wiring and pipe material holder according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from one direction, and (b) a schematic perspective view as viewed from the opposite direction. [Figure 2]Front view of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] (a) Plan view, (b) left side view, (c) right side view and (d) bottom view of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] A-A cross-sectional view of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] B-B cross-sectional view of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] C-C cross-sectional view of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] D-D cross-sectional view of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a form in which the holding space of the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1 is reduced. [Figure 9] Schematic perspective view showing an installation structure by the wiring and pipe material holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Front view of the installation structure of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] E-E cross-sectional view of the installation structure of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] F-F cross-sectional view of the installation structure of FIG. 10. [Figure 13] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a second installation structure in which a wall material is further erected on the side surface of the structure with respect to the installation structure of FIG. 9. [Figure 14] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a third installation structure for holding the wiring and pipe material with the maximum corresponding diameter in the installation structure of FIG. 9. [Figure 15] Schematic view showing the step of fixing the wiring and pipe material holder to the structure in the method of constructing the installation structure by the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 16] Schematic diagram showing each step of the method of gripping the wiring and pipe material with the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 17] Schematic diagram showing the action of the engagement preventing means and the state of engaging the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row in the method of constructing the installation structure by the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 18] Schematic perspective view showing a method of releasing the locked state of the first locking portion and the second locking portion using a tool in the wiring and pipe material holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 19] The method shown in Figure 18 involves (a) inserting the operating tool between the release operating section and the outer surface of the wiring / piping material, and (b) tilting the operating tool using the outer surface of the wiring / piping material as a pivot point. [Figure 20] A schematic perspective view showing a fourth installation structure in which multiple wiring and piping materials are arranged side by side by multiple wiring and piping material holders according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] Front view of the installation structure shown in Figure 20. [Figure 22] Figure 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the installation structure. [Figure 23] Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the connection between one wiring / piping material holder and another wiring / piping material holder by a connecting mechanism in the installation structure. [Figure 24] A schematic diagram showing the process of connecting one wiring / piping material holder to another wiring / piping material holder when constructing the installation structure shown in Figure 20. [Figure 25] (a) a schematic perspective view of a wiring and piping material holder of another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention, and (b) a schematic perspective view of a wiring and piping material holder viewed from the opposite direction. [Figure 26] Figure 25 shows a front view of the wiring and piping material holder. [Figure 27] Figure 25 shows (a) a plan view, (b) a left side view, (c) a right side view, and (d) a bottom view of the wiring and piping material holder. [Figure 28] Figure 27 shows the A'-A' cross-sectional view of the wiring and piping material holder. [Figure 29] Figure 27 shows a cross-sectional view of the wiring and piping material holder at section B'-B'. [Figure 30] Figure 27 shows the C'-C' cross-sectional view of the wiring and piping material holder. [Figure 31] Figure 26 shows a cross-sectional view of the wiring and piping material holder at the D'-D' point. [Figure 32] A schematic cross-sectional view showing a reduced holding space for the wiring and piping material holder shown in Figure 25. [Figure 33] Figure 25 is a schematic perspective view showing the installation structure using wiring and piping material holders. [Figure 34] Front view of the installation structure shown in Figure 33. [Figure 35] Figure 33 shows the E'-E' cross-sectional view of the installation structure. [Figure 36] Figure 33 shows the F'-F' cross-sectional view of the installation structure. [Figure 37] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the installation structure in Figure 32, which holds wiring and piping materials of the maximum compatible diameter. [Figure 38] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration for holding intermediate-diameter wiring and piping materials in the installation structure shown in Figure 32. [Figure 39] A schematic diagram showing each step of the method for gripping wiring and piping materials of the smallest diameter using the wiring and piping material holder shown in Figure 25. [Figure 40] A schematic diagram showing each step of the method for gripping wiring and piping materials of the maximum diameter using the wiring and piping material holder shown in Figure 25. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the shapes in the drawings referenced in the following description are conceptual or schematic diagrams for illustrating preferred shapes and dimensions, and the dimensional ratios, etc., do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensional ratios. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the dimensional ratios shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the up, down, left, and right directions in the present invention are merely concepts indicating relative positions, and it goes without saying that they can be interchanged and applied accordingly.

[0023] [First Embodiment] One embodiment of the present invention, a wiring / piping material holder 100, is fixed to a structure such as building materials or wall materials and is used for arranging wiring / piping materials in relation to the structure. In this embodiment, the structure to which the wiring / piping material holder 100 is fixed is a building material 11 having an installation surface (or arrangement surface) on one side, and the wiring / piping material P is exemplified as a corrugated flexible pipe. The wiring / piping material P is formed so that peaks (large diameter sections) and valleys (small diameter sections) are alternately continuous in the longitudinal direction. However, this embodiment is merely one example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that it does not limit its use or configuration as long as it does not deviate from the technical scope of the present invention. The configuration of the wiring / piping material holder 100 of the present invention will be described below.

[0024] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) are perspective views of a wiring and piping material holder 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a front view of the wiring and piping material holder 100. Figures 3(a) to 3(d) are a top view, left side view, right side view, and bottom view of the wiring and piping material holder 100. Figures 4 to 7 are cross-sectional views of various parts of the wiring and piping material holder 100.

[0025] The wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment is fixed to a structure and is configured to arrange the wiring and piping material P along the wall surface of the structure in a predetermined arrangement direction by holding or gripping the wiring and piping material P in the holding space 101 which serves as a holding part. As shown in Figure 2, the wiring and piping material holder 100 has a substantially C-shape when viewed from the front, with an open part 103 defining the holding space 101. In this embodiment, the wiring and piping material holder 100 is integrally molded from synthetic resin and has flexibility and elasticity in the strip-shaped portion. Here, the holding space 101 means the region in which wiring and piping material P having a predetermined diameter as the object to be held is held, but it can also be interpreted as a region in which its outer edge varies according to the diameter of the wiring and piping material P to be held (corresponding minimum diameter to opposing maximum diameter).

[0026] Furthermore, the wiring / piping material holder 100 is configured to hold two or more types of wiring / piping materials having different diameters from the minimum to the maximum diameter in the holding space 101. Here, among the corresponding wiring / piping materials P, the wiring / piping material with the maximum corresponding diameter is represented by PL, the wiring / piping material with the maximum corresponding diameter is represented by PS, and the wiring / piping material with an unspecified diameter is represented by P. The maximum corresponding diameter of the wiring / piping material is determined by the diameter of the longest possible length that can enclose its outer surface in the (closed) holding space 101. On the other hand, the minimum corresponding diameter of the wiring / piping material is determined by the diameter of the shortest possible length that can grip the wiring / piping material in the holding space 101 without moving. In the case of corrugated flexible pipes, the diameter of the wiring / piping material referred to here is the outer diameter of the peaks.

[0027] The wiring / piping material holder 100 of this embodiment includes a first retaining piece 110 extending from the base end to the tip, a second retaining piece 120 extending from the base end to the tip and cooperating with the first retaining piece 110 to surround the wiring / piping material P and hold it along the installation direction, a hinge 130 that rotatably connects the base end side of the first retaining piece 110 and the base end side of the second retaining piece 120, and an auxiliary piece 140 that rises from the inner surface of the first retaining piece 110 with its tip as a free end. In the wiring / piping material holder 100 of this embodiment, the first retaining piece 110, the second retaining piece 120, the hinge 130, and the auxiliary piece 140 are integrally formed. Here, the direction in which the wiring / piping material holder 100 (first retaining piece 110 and second retaining piece 120) extends in a C-shape or ring shape (the direction surrounding the wiring / piping material P) is defined as the extension direction or circumferential direction, and the direction of the inside-outside of the holding space 101 (the radial direction of the wiring / piping material P) is defined as the radial direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the wiring / piping material holder 100 (first retaining piece 110 and second retaining piece 120) (the direction in which the wiring / piping material P is installed) is defined as the width direction. In addition, the vertical direction in a front view that is perpendicular to the bottom surface (fixing surface 111c) of the wiring / piping material holder 100 is defined as the vertical installation direction.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the initial form of the wiring / piping material holder 100 (without holding the wiring / piping material P), an opening 103 for introducing the wiring / piping material P into the inside is formed between the tip of the first holding piece 110 and the tip of the second holding piece 120. Communicating with this opening 103, a holding space 101 for holding the wiring / piping material P is defined inside the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120. Then, the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 rotate or displace relative to each other around the hinge 130, and the tip portions of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 overlap, thereby forming an annular holding space 101 that surrounds the wiring / piping material P in the circumferential direction. At this time, the second holding piece 120 overlaps with the first holding piece 110 from the outside (radially outward) of the holding space 101. This closed retaining space 101 can be maintained by the locking of the first locking portion (first locking teeth row 113) of the first retaining piece 110 and the second locking portion (second locking teeth row 123) of the second retaining piece 120. The first locking portion and the second locking portion are released by separating from each other in a direction different from the locking direction (i.e., radially). Furthermore, whether the opening 103 is open or closed, a hinge-side space 105 is formed between the retaining space 101 and the hinge 130 as an extra gap where no wiring or piping material P is placed.

[0029] This hinge-side space 105 is a space that allows for bending displacement of the base ends of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 around the hinge 130, and is therefore inevitably formed inside the wiring / piping material holder 100. In conventional wiring / piping material holders, such a hinge-side space can act as a relief space that causes bending deformation and displacement of the wiring / piping material P when the wiring / piping material P is tightened with a relatively strong pressing force, which can cause problems in the arrangement of the wiring / piping material P.

[0030] Furthermore, the wiring and piping material holder 100 can gradually reduce the size of the holding space 101 by gradually increasing the overlapping of the tip portions while maintaining the locked state. That is, as the amount of overlapping of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 increases, the amount of locking of the first locking portion and the second locking portion increases, or the relative locking position of the first locking portion and the second locking portion changes. Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wiring and piping material holder 100 showing the form in which the overlapping of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 has been fully progressed and the holding space 101 has been reduced to its smallest size.

[0031] Furthermore, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment is configured to be connectable to other wiring and piping material holders 100 (which are the same item) in a direction of alignment that intersects with the installation direction (see Figure 20, etc.). That is, the wiring and piping material holder 100 includes a connecting mechanism that connects one wiring and piping material holder 100 to another wiring and piping material holder 100 adjacent to that one wiring and piping material holder 100 in a direction of alignment that intersects with the installation direction.

[0032] Furthermore, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment includes engagement prevention means that prevents the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 from engaging with a number of sets less than a specific number N (=3>1) for the locking state of the first locking portion and the second locking portion. In this embodiment, the second locking tooth row 123 consists of three locking teeth, and engagement is prevented with a number of sets of locking teeth less than three. The specific number N, which indicates the number of locking tooth sets necessary for sufficiently strong engagement, and the number of locking teeth in each locking tooth row can be arbitrarily designed according to the object to be held and the application.

[0033] The following describes in detail each component of the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment.

[0034] The first retaining piece 110 extends from the base end to the tip end and consists of a block-shaped wall portion located from the base end to the center and an arm-shaped wall portion erected at the tip end of the block-shaped wall portion. This arm-shaped wall portion constitutes the tip portion of the first retaining piece 110. A thin-walled hinge 130 is connected to the base end of the block-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 110. The first retaining piece 110 includes a base portion 111 which serves as a base to be fixed to a structure, a first gripping portion 112 connected to the base portion 111 which has an arc-shaped recess on its inner surface for gripping wiring and piping materials P, and a first locking portion (first locking tooth row 113) for maintaining the enclosure of wiring and piping materials P by the retaining space 101.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, the base portion 111 extends in the direction of extension of the first retaining piece 110, and has a first side portion 111a on the right side in the front view in the direction of extension and a second side portion 111b on the left side in the front view. Here, the first side portion 111a and the second side portion 111b are the edges (excluding the movable part) of the first retaining piece 110 in the front view. In addition, a planar fixing surface 111c is defined on the bottom surface of the base portion 111. As shown in Figure 5, a recess 111d for accommodating the head of a fixing screw 15 is provided approximately in the center in the direction of extension of the base portion 111. At the bottom of the recess 111d, an insertion portion 111e is formed that penetrates the base portion 111 vertically and allows the shaft portion of the screw 15 to be inserted when fixing to a structure.

[0036] The first gripping portion 112 is located above the base portion 111 and has an arc-shaped recess extending from the base end to the tip of the first retaining piece 110 to grip the wiring / piping material P. At the tip end of the first retaining piece 110, a part of the first gripping portion 112 rises up relative to the base portion 111. The first gripping portion 112 is formed as a curved surface with a substantially arc shape in cross-sectional view on the inner surface of the recess facing the second retaining piece 120. This curved surface is defined as the first arc portion. The arc shape of the first arc portion is defined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumference shape of the wiring / piping material PL). In other words, the curvature of the first arc portion corresponds to the circle of the corresponding maximum diameter. The first arc portion also has an arc-shaped plate rib 112a that fits into the valleys of the corrugated flexible pipe wiring / piping material P and locks the wiring / piping material P in the longitudinal direction.

[0037] On the arc-shaped curved outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 110, a first locking tooth row 113 is formed as a first locking portion, consisting of a plurality of locking teeth formed continuously in the direction of the progression of overlapping. In this embodiment, two rows of first locking tooth rows 113 are aligned in the circumferential direction and provided spaced apart from each other on both sides of the width direction of the first retaining piece 110. Furthermore, each first locking tooth row 113 extends over most of the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion. Each locking tooth constituting the first locking tooth row 113 has a sawtooth shape with an inclined surface on its tip side and a locking surface on the opposite side that is erected substantially perpendicularly from the outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion. It acts to allow movement in only one direction and lock in the other direction relative to the sawtooth-shaped locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123, which will be described later. Furthermore, the first locking tooth row 113 has a greater number of locking teeth than the second locking tooth row 123 (minimum number of engagements N). The greater the number of locking teeth constituting the first locking tooth row 113, the more it is possible to maintain the connection between the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 while further reducing the retaining space 101. In other words, the maximum amount of overlap between the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 is determined by the number of locking teeth of the locking tooth row which has a greater number of locking teeth than the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123.

[0038] Furthermore, a flat, plate-shaped dividing wall 115 is provided on the curved outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 110. The dividing wall 115 is formed on the tip side of the first retaining piece 110 and extends across the entire curved outer surface at the center of the width direction of the arm-shaped wall portion. The dividing wall 115 is a wall portion that rises perpendicular to the bottom surface of the first retaining piece 110, and its straight-rising edge forms the second side portion 111b. The dividing wall 115 is formed between two rows of first locking teeth 113 and is positioned to divide the first locking teeth 113 into two in the width direction. This dividing wall 115 functions as a restricting portion that restricts the width direction displacement of the second retaining piece 120, which will be described later. Furthermore, a tapered guide edge portion 115a is formed at the tip of the dividing wall 115. The guide edge 115a functions to guide the dividing wall 115 into the dividing groove 125 of the second retaining piece 120, which will be described later.

[0039] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 6, the sides of the dividing wall 115 and the two rows of first locking teeth 113 are spaced apart, and a recessed portion 116 is provided between them. The recessed portion 116 is a region recessed relative to the first locking teeth 113, and is an elongated passage that extends circumferentially over almost the entire length of the arm-shaped wall portion, formed beside each first locking teeth 113. As will be described later, the recessed portion 116 functions as a guide passage that guides the progression of the second retaining piece 120 in the overlapping direction, or as a receiving recess that receives the convex portion 124 of the second retaining piece 120.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 6, the circumferential tip of each groove 116 (the end facing the tip of the second retaining piece 120) is closed by a blocking wall 114. The blocking wall 114 is a wall formed next to the foremost locking tooth of the first locking tooth row 113. Each blocking wall 114 is integrally formed between each side surface of the dividing wall 115 and the locking tooth, and has the same cross-sectional shape as the locking tooth. The blocking wall 114 is part of an engagement blocking means that prevents the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 from engaging in pairs less than a specific number N (=3).

[0041] As shown in Figure 7, the first side portion 111a and the second side portion 111b of the base portion 111 of the first retaining piece 110 are provided with an engaging portion 118 and an engaged portion 119, respectively, which serve as a connecting mechanism. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 118 and the engaged portion 119 are provided near the bottom of the first retaining piece 110.

[0042] The engaging portion 118 is formed to protrude from the first side portion 111a of the wiring / piping material holder 100 in the alignment direction. The engaging portion 118 comprises a base end 118a integrally connected to the outer wall (first side portion 111a) of the first retaining piece 110, and a main body portion 118b that extends from the base end 118a toward the bottom and rises outward in the alignment direction, with a semicircular shape in front view. The main body portion 118b has a T-shaped engaging groove 118c in plan view that penetrates vertically and is open to the outside. A cavity is formed on the inside of the engaging portion 118 of the first retaining piece 110 in the alignment direction, into which the main body portion 118b can be retracted. The engaging portion 118 can be displaced in and out in the alignment direction by rotation around the base end 118a, and can be displaced to change the amount of protrusion in the alignment direction.

[0043] On the other hand, the engaged portion 119 is formed on the second side portion 111b of the wiring / piping material holder 100 in the direction of alignment so as to be able to engage with the engaged portion 118. The engaged portion 119 is provided on the edge of the dividing wall 115 in the direction of alignment and is formed to protrude in the width direction from both sides of the dividing wall 115. That is, the engaged portion 119 is a connecting piece that forms a T shape and can be fitted into the T-shaped engagement groove 118c in cooperation with the dividing wall 115. Furthermore, the engaged portion (connecting piece) 119 is positioned to be spaced apart from the first locking tooth row 113 across the dividing wall 115. This prevents the tip portion of the second retaining piece 120 from interfering with the engaged portion 119 during the locking operation.

[0044] The engaging portion 118 and the engaged portion 119 are configured to engage and disengage from each other by sliding relative to each other in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the bottom surface) (see Figure 24). The engagement of the engaging portion 118 of one wiring / piping material holder 100 with the engaged portion 119 of another wiring / piping material holder 100 connects adjacent wiring / piping material holders 100, 100 in the parallel direction (see Figure 23). As shown in Figures 5 and 13, the engaging portion 118 can be displaced as needed from a first position in which it can be connected to the engaged portion 119 of another wiring / piping material holder 100, to a second position in which it does not protrude beyond the outer surface (first side portion 111a) of the base portion 111, making it impossible to connect to the engaged portion 119 of another wiring / piping material holder 100.

[0045] The second retaining piece 120 consists of a band that extends in an arch shape from the base end to the tip end. The second retaining piece 120 has a base end portion that is curved in an arc shape and a tip portion that is connected to the base end portion and is more gently curved. A thin hinge 130 is connected to the base end portion of the second retaining piece 120. The curved shape of the tip portion of the second retaining piece 120 corresponds to the curved shape of the outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 110 in order to overlap with the tip portion of the first retaining piece 110.

[0046] The tip portion of the second retaining piece 120 is provided with a separating piece 121 that is separated in the width direction over a predetermined length from the circumferential tip. The two separating pieces 121 have independent free ends. One of the two separating pieces 121 and the other are independently elastically flexible and deformable radially inward and outward around their base ends. The two separating pieces 121 are formed side by side in the width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the second retaining piece 120 and are separated in the width direction by a dividing groove 125 of a predetermined width. This dividing groove 125 has a width that allows it to pass through the dividing wall 115 of the first retaining piece 110.

[0047] The second retaining piece 120 includes a second gripping portion 122 having an arc-shaped recess formed on its inner surface for gripping the wiring / piping material P, and a second locking portion (second locking tooth row 123) for maintaining the enclosure of the wiring / piping material P by the retaining space 101.

[0048] The second gripping portion 122 has an arc-shaped recess that grips the wiring / piping material P along the direction of extension from the base end to the tip of the second retaining piece 120. The second gripping portion 122 is formed as a curved surface with a substantially arc shape in cross-section on the inner surface of the recess facing the first retaining piece 110. This curved surface is defined as the second arc portion. The arc shape of the second arc portion is defined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumference shape of the wiring / piping material PL). In other words, the curvature of the second arc portion corresponds to the circle of the corresponding maximum diameter. The second arc portion also has an arc-shaped plate-like rib 122a that fits into the valleys of the wiring / piping material P, which is a corrugated flexible pipe, and locks the wiring / piping material P in the longitudinal direction.

[0049] On the inner surface of the tip portion of the second retaining piece 120, a second locking tooth row 123 is formed as a second locking portion, consisting of multiple (in this case, three) locking teeth formed continuously in the direction of polymerization. The second locking portion is provided on each of the two separating pieces 121. That is, two rows of second locking tooth rows 123 are aligned in the circumferential direction and provided spaced apart from each other on both sides of the width direction of the second retaining piece 120. These two rows of second locking tooth rows 123 are each positioned in the width direction so as to face the two rows of first locking tooth rows 113 radially. Furthermore, each second locking tooth row 123 is formed at the tip of each separating piece 121 and consists of three locking teeth. Each locking tooth constituting the second locking tooth row 123 has a sawtooth shape with an inclined surface on the tip side and a locking surface on the opposite side that is erected substantially vertically from the inner surface of the separating piece 121. When the tip portions of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 overlap, the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123 click into place radially. At this time, the sliding surfaces of the locking teeth allow relative movement in the direction that advances the overlap and reduces the retaining space 101. As the overlap progresses, when one locking tooth overcomes the opposing locking tooth by sliding the inclined surfaces together and then engages with the next locking tooth, the user can feel and hear the clicking sensation caused by the engagement of the locking teeth. On the other hand, the locking surfaces of the locking teeth are locked together, restricting relative movement in the direction that recedes the overlap and expands the retaining space 101. Furthermore, the locking state by both locking teeth is released when the second locking tooth row 123 is displaced radially outward relative to the first locking tooth row 113.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1(b), 4, and 6, a protruding portion 124, which serves as a blocking projection (part of the engagement blocking means) or a guiding projection, is formed on the widthwise inner side of the second locking tooth row 123. The protruding portion 124 extends along the arrangement from the first to the third locking tooth on the tip side of the second locking tooth row 123. In other words, the protruding portion 124 has a length that spans all the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123. The protruding portion 124 protrudes from the inner surface of the widthwise inner edge of each separating piece 121 and is integrally formed on the widthwise inner side of three (a specific number N) locking teeth. The protruding portion 124, as part of the engagement blocking means, cooperates with the blocking wall portion 114 to function as a blocking protrusion that prevents the locking teeth of the radially opposing first locking tooth row 113 and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 from engaging in pairs less than a specific number N (=3). The shape of the protruding portion 124 can be changed as needed. For example, if the specific number N is 2, the protruding portion 124 can be formed to extend along the arrangement from the first locking tooth to the second locking tooth on the tip side of the second locking tooth row 123. Alternatively, if the specific number N is greater than 3, the protruding portion 124 can be formed to extend along the arrangement from the first locking tooth to the N (>3) locking tooth on the tip side of the second locking tooth row 123. The number of teeth constituting the second locking tooth row 123 may also be greater than the specific number N.

[0051] Each protrusion 124 is formed at the same widthwise position as each blocking wall 114 provided at the tip of the first retaining piece 110. The protrusion 124 is configured to contact the blocking wall 114 radially when the tip portions of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 begin to overlap. The tip edge of the protrusion 124 is tapered and chamfered so that when it contacts the tip edge of the blocking wall 114, the second retaining piece 120 is guided radially outward from the first retaining piece 110. Furthermore, it is preferable that the protrusion height of the protrusion 124 is greater than the protrusion height of the locking teeth in order to prevent the locking teeth from catching on each other. In this case, the protrusion height of the protrusion 124 and the protrusion height of the locking teeth are approximately the same. Furthermore, the protruding portion 124 is configured to be received by a recessed portion 116 formed to the side of the first locking tooth row 113 of the first retaining piece 110 on the side in the direction of travel (or beyond the blocking wall portion 114 in the direction of travel). As a result, when the overlapping of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 progresses to a position where the blocking wall portion 114 and the protruding portion 124 do not overlap, the recessed portion 116 is accommodated in the protruding portion 124 as a receiving recess, and engagement between the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 is permitted. The series of operations by the engagement prevention means will be described in more detail later with reference to Figure 17. In addition, the protruding portion 124 can slide guided by the recessed portion 116, which is a guide passage, as a guide protrusion. By maintaining the convex portion 124 within the concave portion 116, each separating piece 121 is prevented from shifting in the width direction during the polymerization process.

[0052] Furthermore, each of the separating pieces 121 of the second retaining piece 120 is provided with a release operation portion 128 that protrudes outward in the width direction at its tip. In other words, the release operation portion 128 protrudes on both sides in the direction in which the second retaining piece 120 is installed. The release operation portion 128 is configured to be operated by the user by lifting it outward (radially) from the retaining space 101 with their finger or a shaft-shaped operating tool T (see Figures 18 and 19), thereby separating the second locking portion from the first locking portion in the radial direction of the wiring / piping material P, and releasing the locking of the first locking portion and the second locking portion. In this embodiment, the release operation portion 128 is a rectangular knob, but its shape can be arbitrarily selected. Also, the release operation portion 128 protrudes along the installation direction so as to face the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material P being held with a gap in between. The gap is formed to allow an operating tool T to be inserted between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material P held in the holding space 101 and the release operation part 128 (see Figure 19(a)). Furthermore, since the two separating pieces 121 are elastically deformable independently of each other, operating one of the release operation parts 128 will cause only one of the separating pieces 121 to be released.

[0053] The hinge 130 connects the base ends of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120, and is configured to rotate the first retaining piece 110 in the opening and closing directions of the second retaining piece 120. The hinge 130 is a thin-walled piece that is relatively thin compared to the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120, and is preferentially elastically deformable compared to other parts. When the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 are displaced in the direction of overlapping, the hinge 130 bends at an acute angle. On the other hand, when the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 are displaced in the direction of expanding the opening 103, the hinge 130 bends at an obtuse angle. Due to this bending of the hinge 130, a hinge-side space 105 is formed on its inside.

[0054] The auxiliary piece 140 is provided to prevent the wiring / piping material P held in the holding space 101 from escaping into the hinge-side space 105. The auxiliary piece 140 is an arc-shaped strip that rises from the inner surface of the first holding piece 110 with its tip as a free end toward the inner surface of the second holding piece 120, with a protruding length. The auxiliary piece 140 is positioned between the wiring / piping material P placed in the holding space 101 and the hinge 130. In particular, the auxiliary piece 140 is connected to the base end of the first arc portion and is positioned slightly toward the hinge 130 side than the center of the holding space 101 of the first holding piece 110. In this embodiment, the auxiliary piece 140 rises within the holding space 101 when holding the wiring / piping material PS of the corresponding minimum diameter. The auxiliary piece 140 is also erected so as to face the inner surface of the tip portion of the first holding piece 110. Furthermore, a space is formed on the hinge 130 side of the auxiliary piece 140 that allows the auxiliary piece 140 to tilt toward the hinge 130. This space is a retraction space for the inner surface of the auxiliary piece 140 (the side that abuts the wiring / piping material P) to retract to a position where it is aligned with the inner surface of the second retaining piece 120. In addition, the distance between the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 and the tip of the first retaining piece 110 is smaller than the diameter of the wiring / piping material PL at its maximum diameter.

[0055] The auxiliary piece 140 comprises a base end portion 141 that is elastically flexible and deformable at its base end, and a contact portion 142 that can abut against the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material P. The base end portion 141 is a relatively thin portion of the auxiliary piece 140 and assists in the elastic tilting of the auxiliary piece 140. The contact portion 142 has an arc-shaped curved surface that faces the tip side of the first retaining piece 110 in order to abut against the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material P. The curved surface of the contact portion 142 is determined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumferential shape of the wiring / piping material PL). In other words, the curvature of the curved surface of the contact portion 142 corresponds to the circle of the corresponding maximum diameter. The contact portion 142 also has an arc-shaped plate rib 142a that fits into the valleys of the corrugated flexible pipe wiring / piping material P and locks in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the first arc portion, the second arc portion, and the contact portion 142 curved surface have the same curvature and are configured to be located on the same circumference of the diameter of the wiring / piping material PL.

[0056] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 140 is positioned on the tip side of the first retaining piece 110, relative to the holding position of the wiring / piping material P, so that when gripping a wiring / piping material P of a predetermined diameter (including the corresponding minimum diameter wiring / piping material PS), it contacts the outer surface of the wiring / piping material P and tilts toward the hinge 130. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, the contact portion 142 is elastically displaceable so as to tilt toward the hinge 130 from its initial position around the base end portion 141. When a wiring / piping material P of a size ranging from the corresponding minimum diameter to the maximum diameter is placed in the holding space 101, the auxiliary piece 140 elastically tilts toward the hinge 130 as the wiring / piping material P is tightened, and presses against the wiring / piping material P due to its elastic force. On the other hand, when introducing the wiring / piping material PL of the maximum compatible diameter into the holding space 101, the auxiliary piece 140 can also act to temporarily hold the wiring / piping material PL by working in cooperation with the inner surface of the tip portion of the first holding piece 110, which is opposite the inner surface of the contact portion 142, to sandwich the wiring / piping material PL.

[0057] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 140 is configured such that when the holding space 101 in which the wiring and piping material P is placed is reduced, the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 abuts against the inner surface of the second holding piece 120. For example, when holding wiring and piping material PS of the smallest corresponding diameter, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 8, the auxiliary piece 140 is pressed towards the hinge 130 by the wiring and piping material PS, causing it to retract toward the hinge 130 and assume an upright position. When the auxiliary piece 140 is in the retracted position (dashed line in Figure 8), it interferes with the inner surface of the second holding piece 120, and is therefore pressed from the hinge 130 side toward the tip of the second holding piece 120 by the inner surface of the second holding piece 120. Due to this pressing force, the auxiliary piece 140 may also be moved from the retracted position toward the tip of the second holding piece 120. In this manner, the position and protruding length of the auxiliary piece 140 are determined such that, while the wiring / piping material P of a predetermined diameter is held in the holding space 101, the tip of the auxiliary piece 140, which is tilted to a retracted position according to the diameter of the wiring / piping material P, comes into contact with or presses against the inner surface (or the inner surface of the second arc portion) of the second holding piece 120.

[0058] Next, with reference to Figures 9 to 12, an installation structure 10 in which wiring and piping material PS of the smallest corresponding diameter is held and arranged on a building material 11 (structure) using the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of the installation structure 10. Figure 10 is a schematic front view of the installation structure 10. Figure 11 is a cross cross-sectional view of the installation structure 10 at EE. Figure 12 is a cross cross-sectional view of the installation structure 10 at FF.

[0059] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, in the installation structure 10 of this embodiment, the structure is a columnar building material 11 that stands vertically, and a wiring / piping material holder 100 is fixed to the front side surface (installation surface) of the building material 11. The wiring / piping material holder 100 then grips the wiring / piping material PS, and the arrangement direction is aligned vertically.

[0060] As shown in Figure 12, in the installation structure 10, the fixing surface 111c of the base 111 of the wiring / piping material holder 100 abuts against the side surface of the building material 11, and the screw 15 penetrates the insertion portion 111e, thereby fixing the wiring / piping material holder 100 to the building material 11. At this time, the head of the screw 15 is housed in the recess 111d of the base 111, and the shaft is screwed into the building material 11. The wiring / piping material holder 100 is fixed in a position where its width direction is aligned with the vertical direction.

[0061] In the installation structure 10, the wiring and piping material PS is held in the closed holding space 101 of the wiring and piping material holder 100. As shown in Figure 11, the tip portions of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 overlap, and the second locking tooth row 123 engages with the first locking tooth row 113 from the radially outer side, thereby maintaining the closed state of the holding space 101. In the installation structure 10 that holds the wiring and piping material PS having the minimum corresponding diameter, the three locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 engage with the three locking teeth at the rearmost end of the first locking tooth row 113 so as to maximize the amount of overlap between the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120. The locking surfaces of the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123 are locked in the circumferential direction, which restricts the relative movement of the second holding piece 120 relative to the first holding piece 110 in the direction that reverses the overlap. As a result, the state in which the holding space 101 surrounding the wiring and piping material PS is minimized is maintained.

[0062] In the installation structure 10, as shown in Figure 11, the wiring / piping material PS is gripped by the arc portion of the first gripping portion 112, the arc portion of the second gripping portion 122, and the contact portion 142 of the auxiliary piece 140 pressing against the outer circumferential surface (outer circumferential surface of the peaks) of the wiring / piping material PS, respectively. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the ribs 112a, 122a, and 132a enter the valleys of the wiring / piping material PS and press against the outer circumferential surface of those valleys. As a result, the wiring / piping material PS is stably gripped so as not to move around within the holding space 101.

[0063] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 140 is positioned between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PS and the hinge 130. The auxiliary piece 140 blocks communication between the holding space 101 and the hinge-side space 105. In addition, the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 is engaged with the inner surface of the second gripping portion 122 of the second holding piece 120 in a position retracted from its original position toward the hinge 130. The auxiliary piece 140 is pressed by the inner surface of the second gripping portion 122 from the hinge 130 side toward the center of the holding space 101 (the tip side of the first holding piece 110 or the second holding piece 120). This pressing force makes the grip of the wiring / piping material PS by the three points of the first holding piece 110, the second holding piece 120, and the auxiliary piece 140 stronger. And, since the auxiliary piece 140 supports the wiring / piping material PS from the hinge 130 side, it does not tilt further toward the hinge-side space 105. Therefore, the auxiliary piece 140 prevents the wiring and piping material PS from escaping from the holding space 101 to the hinge-side space 105. Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 140 is positioned to brace between the inner surface of the first holding piece 110 and the inner surface of the second holding piece 120. As a result, the pivot point for the rotation of the second holding piece 120 relative to the first holding piece 110 moves from the hinge 130 to the tip of the auxiliary piece 140, preventing smooth rotation in the direction that reverses the overlap of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 around the hinge 130. Consequently, it is possible to maintain a stronger locking state between the first locking part and the second locking part.

[0064] Furthermore, the locking state of the wiring / piping material holder 100 is achieved by the independent engagement of the second locking teeth row 123 formed on the two separating pieces 121 of the second retaining piece 120 with the two rows of first locking teeth row 113. In other words, even if one of the separating pieces 121 is unintentionally displaced radially outward, and the engagement of one pair of first locking teeth row 113 and second locking teeth row 123 is released, the engagement of the other pair can be maintained. Moreover, in the installation structure 10, the dividing wall 115 of the first retaining piece 110 fits into the dividing groove 125 of the second retaining piece 120, and the protruding portion 124 formed next to the second locking teeth row 123 is housed in the recessed portion 116, thereby restricting the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 from shifting in the direction of arrangement (width direction) of the wiring / piping material PS. In other words, in the installation structure 10, the wiring and piping material PS is firmly held by the wiring and piping material holder 100.

[0065] Figure 13 shows an alternative installation structure 10-1, in which a wall material 13 is further erected on the side surface of the building material 11, compared to the installation structure 10 in Figure 12. In the installation structure 10 shown in Figure 12, the outer surface of the first side portion 111a of the wiring / piping material holder 100 is located on the outer edge of the side surface (installation surface) of the building material 11, and the engaging portion 118 protrudes from the side surface (installation surface). In contrast, in the installation structure 10-1 shown in Figure 13, the wall material 13 is erected, causing the wall surface of the wall material 13 to come into contact with the engaging portion 118, and the engaging portion 118 is displaced inward from the first side portion 111a. That is, the engaging portion 118 is displaced from a first position (see Figure 12) where it can be connected to the engaged portion 119 of other wiring / piping material holders 100, to a second position (see Figure 13) where it does not protrude beyond the outer surface of the first side portion 111a of the base portion 111. Therefore, in the installation structure 10-1, the wall material 13 is erected on the side of the building material 11 without interfering with the wiring / piping material holder 100.

[0066] Figure 14 shows an alternative installation structure 10-2 in which the wiring / piping material PL with the largest diameter among the corresponding wiring / piping materials P is arranged in relation to the installation structure 10 of Figure 11. In this installation structure 10-2, the wiring / piping material PL is held in the closed holding space 101 of the wiring / piping material holder 100. The tip portions of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 overlap, and the second locking tooth row 123 engages with the first locking tooth row 113 from the radially outside, thereby maintaining the closed state of the holding space 101. In the installation structure 10 that holds the wiring / piping material PL with the corresponding largest diameter, the three locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 engage with the three locking teeth at the very front of the first locking tooth row 113 so as to minimize the amount of overlap between the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120. The locking surfaces of the first locking teeth 113 and the second locking teeth 123 are locked in the circumferential direction, which restricts the relative movement of the second retaining piece 120 relative to the first retaining piece 110 in the direction of receding polymerization. As a result, the retaining space 101 surrounding the wiring and piping material PL is maintained at its maximum size.

[0067] As shown in Figure 14, the wiring / piping material PL is gripped by the arc portion of the first gripping portion 112, the arc portion of the second gripping portion 122, and the contact portion 142 of the auxiliary piece 140, respectively, contacting the outer circumferential surface (outer circumferential surface of the peak) of the wiring / piping material PL. At this time, the first arc portion, the second arc portion, and the curved surface of the contact portion 142 are located on the same circumference, which substantially coincides with the outer circumferential surface (peak) of the wiring / piping material PL. Although not shown, the ribs 112a, 122a, and 132a also fit into the valleys of the wiring / piping material PL and contact the outer circumferential surface of those valleys. Similarly, the inner edges of the ribs 112a, 122a, and 132a are located on the same circumference, which substantially coincides with the outer circumferential surface (valley) of the wiring / piping material PL. Therefore, the wiring / piping material PL is stably held by the wiring / piping material holder 100 so as not to move around within the holding space 101. Furthermore, when holding the wiring / piping material PL with the maximum corresponding diameter, the holding position of the wiring / piping material PL is determined to be one location within the holding space 101, eliminating the need to confirm the position of the wiring / piping material PL or to align it.

[0068] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 140 is positioned between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PL and the hinge 130. The auxiliary piece 140 is tilted to a position close to the hinge 130. The auxiliary piece 140 blocks communication between the holding space 101 and the hinge-side space 105. In addition, the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 is in a position retracted from its original position toward the hinge 130, and is in contact with the inner surface near the base end of the second holding piece 120. At this time, the second holding piece 120 does not bias the auxiliary piece 140 toward the center of the holding space 101. In other words, when holding the wiring / piping material PL of the maximum diameter, the auxiliary piece 140 is retracted to a position where it is not pressed toward the tip side by the inner surface of the second holding piece 120 (or is not moved along with it).

[0069] Next, referring to Figure 15, a method for constructing an installation structure 10 in which wiring and piping materials PS (of the smallest compatible diameter) are arranged on the building material 11 using the wiring and piping material holder 100 will be explained.

[0070] As shown in Figure 15, the wiring / piping material holder 100 is fixed to a predetermined fixed position on the installation surface of the building material 11. While aligning the fixing surface 111c of the wiring / piping material holder 100 with the installation surface of the building material 11, the wiring / piping material holder 100 is positioned and its orientation is maintained to determine the arrangement direction of the wiring / piping material P, and a screw 15 is inserted through the insertion part 111e from the front. Then, by operating a tool (screwdriver) to screw the screw 15 into the building material 11, the wiring / piping material holder 100 can be fixed to the building material 11.

[0071] Next, with reference to Figure 16, each step of the method for gripping the wiring / piping material P with the wiring / piping material holder 100 will be illustrated.

[0072] First, the opening 103 of the wiring / piping material holder 100 is opened, and the wiring / piping material P is inserted into the holding space 101 through the opening 103. As shown in Figure 16(a), the wiring / piping material P is positioned between the tip portion of the first holding piece 110 and the auxiliary piece 140. At this time, the wiring / piping material P is positioned towards the tip of the holding space 101 and is sandwiched between the contact portion 142 of the auxiliary piece 140, which is elastically displaced radially outward, and the inner surface of the first holding piece 110. Then, the second holding piece 120 is rotated around the hinge 130 in the direction of closing the opening 103. The tip portion of the first holding piece 110 and the tip portion of the second holding piece 120 are overlapped, and the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123 are engaged. Here, the engagement-blocking means prevents two or fewer locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 from engaging with the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113, and only after the overlapping progresses to a position where three sets of locking teeth face each other is the locking state formed by the first locking part and the second locking part (see Figure 17).

[0073] After the locking state is initially formed, as the overlapping of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 progresses, the inner surface of the second retaining piece 120 comes into contact with the outer surface of the wiring / piping material P, as shown in Figure 16(b). Then, as the tightening operation continues to reduce the retaining space 101, as shown in Figure 16(c), the wiring / piping material P is pushed toward the center of the retaining space 101, causing the auxiliary piece 140 to tilt toward the hinge 130 and rise from its tilted position, with the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 coming into contact with (or close to) the inner surface of the second retaining piece 120.

[0074] Furthermore, when the second retaining piece 120 is tightened firmly against the first retaining piece 110, as shown in Figure 16(d), the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 presses against the inner surface of the second retaining piece 120, and the auxiliary piece 140 is pulled toward the center of the retaining space 101 and tilts slightly. In other words, as the retaining space 101 is reduced, the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 slides along the inner surface of the second retaining piece 120, and the auxiliary piece 140 tilts toward the tip of the second retaining piece 120. The auxiliary piece 140 then acts to bias or press the wiring / piping material P toward the center of the retaining space 101. In this way, the stepwise engagement of the first and second locking parts in the direction of reducing the size of the retaining space 101 increases the pressing force of the auxiliary piece 140. As a result, the wiring / piping material P can be firmly gripped by the wiring / piping material holder 100 and stably held in the retaining space 101.

[0075] When wiring and piping materials P of different diameters are installed, the engagement position of the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123 shifts to the front or rear end, but the basic process remains the same. However, the operation of the auxiliary piece 140 changes depending on the diameter of the wiring and piping material P. For example, when holding the wiring and piping material PL of the largest possible diameter, the auxiliary piece 140 retracts completely towards the hinge 130, so it is not pressed towards the front end by the inner surface of the second retaining piece 120 and is not dragged towards the center of the retaining space 101.

[0076] Next, with reference to Figure 17, the operation of the engagement-preventing means in the above-described process will be explained. The engagement-preventing means prevents less than a specific number N of locking teeth in the second locking tooth row 123 from engaging with the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113. The specific number N can be selected from an integer of 2 or more. In this embodiment, the specific number N is 3, which is the number of teeth in the second locking tooth row 123. In other words, engagement by only one or two sets of locking teeth is prevented.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 17(a), when the polymerization of the tip portions of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 starts, the rib portion 124 of the second holding piece 120 abuts against and rides on the outer surface of the blocking wall portion 114 of the first holding piece 110. At this time, the second holding piece 120 is in a state of being elastically deformed radially outward. As shown in Fig. 17(b), as the polymerization progresses, the rib portion 124 slides on the blocking wall portion 114. At this time, since the blocking wall portion 114 and the rib portion 124 are in contact in the radial direction, the engaging locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123 are prevented from engaging. This prevention of engagement continues until the position where the blocking wall portion 114 and the rib portion 124 overlap, that is, the position where two sets (<N = 3) of locking teeth face each other.

[0078] Furthermore, when the polymerization amount increases and reaches the position where the number of opposing locking teeth becomes 3, the rib portion 124 gets over the blocking wall portion 114. Then, the rib portion 124 is received in the groove portion 116 as a receiving recess at the position where the blocking wall portion 114 and the rib portion 124 do not overlap. As shown in Fig. 17(c), while the tip portion of the second holding piece 120 is elastically displaced radially inward, the three locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 simultaneously engage with the three locking tooth rows on the tip side of the first locking tooth row 113. Thus, by the locking prevention means, it becomes possible to form at once a locking state having sufficient locking strength (that is, the engagement of a specific number N sets of locking teeth) between the first locking portion and the second locking portion without forming an insufficient locking state halfway. And after the first locking state is formed, as shown in Fig. 17(d), it is possible to proceed with the polymerization while maintaining the locking state of the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123. That is, the wiring and pipe material holder 100 of the present embodiment can prevent the user from completing the operation while in an insufficient locking state by the engagement prevention means.

[0079] Subsequently, referring to Figs. 18 and 19, a method for releasing the locking state between the first locking portion and the second locking portion in the wiring and pipe material holder 100 for gripping the wiring and pipe material P will be described.

[0080] As shown in Figure 18, the user can release the lock between the first locking teeth row 113 and the second locking teeth row 123 by operating an operating tool T with a thin tip shaft, such as a flathead screwdriver, to elastically displace the second retaining piece 120 radially outward from the wiring / piping material P via the release operation part 128 of the wiring / piping material holder 100. The operation of the operating tool T is performed in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the wiring / piping material P, and from the space on the front side of the installation surface of the building material 11. In other words, the user can more easily release the lock by operating the operating tool T using the wider space on the front side of the wiring / piping material P. In particular, since the release operation part 128 protrudes in the arrangement direction on the side of the wiring / piping material P and forms a gap that opens in a direction different from the pipe axis (direction) of the wiring / piping material P, it is not necessary to perform the release operation with the operating tool T aligned with the pipe axis. In other words, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment offers greater workability compared to conventional release operations where the operating tool is positioned along the pipe axis (where the handle of the operating tool is prone to interference with the outer surface of the wiring and piping material). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 18, since the tip of the second holding piece 120 is provided with two separating pieces 121, with each release operation, one separating piece 121 is displaced, releasing only one of the locking states. At this time, the locking state of the other separating piece 121 remains, so the remaining separating piece 121 must also be released sequentially.

[0081] Referring to Figure 19, the release operation will be explained in more detail. First, the tip of the operating tool T is inserted into the gap between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material P and the release operation part 128 that extends opposite it. Next, as shown in Figure 19(a), the operating tool T is brought into contact with two points: the outer surface of the wiring / piping material P and the release operation part 128. The operating tool T is tilted in the circumferential direction of the wiring / piping material P, with the contact point with the outer surface of the wiring / piping material P as the fulcrum and the contact point with the release operation part 128 as the point of application (see the arrow in Figure 19(a)). Then, as shown in Figure 19(b), the tip of the operating tool T lifts the release operation part 128 radially outward of the wiring / piping material P, and the second locking tooth row 123 is separated radially outward from the first locking tooth row 113. In this way, the locking state by the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the second locking tooth row 123 is released. In this state, the locking release operation on one of the separating pieces 121 is completed by pulling the operating tool T out of the gap.

[0082] Next, with reference to Figures 20 to 23, a different form of installation structure 10-3 will be described, in which one wiring / piping material holder 100 is installed on a structure in a state where it is connected to other adjacent wiring / piping material holders 100 via a connecting mechanism. Installation structure 10-3 is in which multiple wiring / piping materials P are arranged in a line by arranging wiring / piping material holders 100 side by side. Figure 20 is a schematic perspective view of the installation structure 10-3. Figure 21 is a front view of the installation structure 10-3. Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of the installation structure 10-3. Figure 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the connecting mechanism of adjacent wiring / piping material holders 100.

[0083] As shown in Figures 20 to 22, in the installation structure 10-3, multiple wiring and piping material holders 100 are fixed in a line on the installation surface of the structure 11, and grip the wiring and piping materials P along a common arrangement direction. One wiring and piping material holder 100 and another wiring and piping material holder 100 are connected by a connecting mechanism in an arrangement direction that intersects with the arrangement direction of the wiring and piping materials P. In addition, a wall material 13 is erected adjacent to the wiring and piping material holder 100 located at the outermost end. Here, the engaging portion 118 of the wiring and piping material holder 100 rotates inward of the first side portion 111a, so that the wiring and piping material holder 100 and the wall material 13 are positioned adjacent to each other.

[0084] As shown in Figures 23(a) and (b), a connected state is formed when the engaged portion 119 of an adjacent wiring / piping material holder 100 is fitted into the engaging groove 118c of the engaging portion 118 of one wiring / piping material holder 100. In this connected state, the displacement of the engaging portion 118 of one wiring / piping material holder 100 is restricted by its engagement with the engaged portion 119 of the other wiring / piping material holder 100. In particular, since the engaging groove 118c and the engaged portion 119 extend perpendicularly for a predetermined length with respect to the fixed surface 111c (or the installation surface of the structure), even if the other wiring / piping material holder 100 tries to move closer to or further away from one wiring / piping material holder 100 along the fixed surface 111c, the main body portion 118b of the engaging portion 118 cannot rotate around the base end 118a. Therefore, when one wiring / piping material holder 100 and the other wiring / piping material holder 100 are in contact with the mounting surface of the structure, the displacement of the engaging portion 118 is restricted (regardless of whether or not they are fixed by screws 15). In other words, even before fixing the wiring / piping material holder 100 to the structure, it is easy to maintain the relative position of one wiring / piping material holder 100 and the other wiring / piping material holder 100, and it becomes possible to fix the wiring / piping material holder 100 and the other wiring / piping material holder 100 to the structure in a combined state.

[0085] As shown in Figure 24, the process of connecting one wiring / piping material holder 100 and another wiring / piping material holder 100 in the parallel direction is performed by bringing the engaged portion 119 of the other wiring / piping material holder 100 close to the engaging portion 118 of the one wiring / piping material holder 100 by relative sliding along a direction different from the parallel direction (here, perpendicular to the fixed surface 111c). In detail, the engaging portion 118 and the engaged portion 119 can be engaged by inserting the engaged portion 119 into the opening of the engaging groove 118c of the engaging portion 118c that faces the opposite side of the fixed surface 111c (upwards in Figure 24). Although not shown, conversely, the engaging portion 118 and the engaged portion 119 can also be engaged by inserting the engaged portion 119 first into the opening of the engaging groove 118c of the engaging portion 118c that faces the fixed surface 111c side (downwards in Figure 24). In other words, since the sliding direction of the connecting wiring / piping material holder 100 is different from the alignment direction, the engaging portion 118 is prevented from being unexpectedly displaced in the alignment direction and retracting inward during the connection operation, enabling a smooth connection operation.

[0086] The following describes the operation and effects of a wiring and piping material holder 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Firstly, according to the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment, the second retaining piece 120 is provided with a release operation portion 128 that protrudes in the installation direction so as to face the outer circumferential surface of the wiring and piping material P to be held, with a gap in between. That is, since the release operation portion 128 protrudes in the installation direction from the second retaining piece 120 which extends in the circumferential direction of the wiring and piping material P, the gap between the release operation portion 128 and the outer circumferential surface of the wiring and piping material P is open at least in the circumferential direction of the wiring and piping material P. The user can use this gap from a direction intersecting or perpendicular to the wiring and piping material P to operate the release operation portion 128 to the outside of the retaining space 101 (radially outward), thereby separating the second locking tooth row 123 from the first locking tooth row 113 in the radial direction of the wiring and piping material P and releasing the locking of the first locking portion and the second locking portion. In this case, there is sufficient space for the release operation in the direction intersecting or perpendicular to the wiring / piping material P, so the release operation can be performed without interference from the wiring / piping material P extending in the installation direction. Therefore, the wiring / piping material holder 100 of this embodiment makes the release operation easier.

[0088] Secondly, according to the wiring / piping material holder 100 of this embodiment, by engaging the engaging portion 118, which is formed to protrude from the first side portion 111a in the direction of arrangement of the wiring / piping material holder 100, with the engaged portion 119, which is provided on the second side portion 111b in the direction of arrangement of the wiring / piping material holder 100, it is possible to connect one wiring / piping material holder 100 to another wiring / piping material holder 100 in a direction of arrangement that intersects with the arrangement direction of the wiring / piping material P. Furthermore, the engaging portion 118 is displaceable so as to change the amount of protrusion in the direction of arrangement. As a result, when another wiring / piping material holder 100 is not connected to the first side portion 111a of one wiring / piping material holder 100, the engaging portion 118 can be displaced to a state in which the amount of protrusion is reduced in order to prevent the engaging portion 118 from interfering with a structure (wall material 13) such as a wall, thereby saving space required for the installation of the wiring / piping material holder 100. Therefore, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment can be connected to other wiring and piping material holders 100, and allows wiring and piping materials P to be installed even in narrower spaces.

[0089] Thirdly, according to the wiring / piping material holder 100 of this embodiment, the tip side of the first holding piece 110 and the tip side of the second holding piece 120 overlap to form an annular holding space 101 surrounding the wiring / piping material P. By increasing the amount of overlap and reducing the holding space 101, it is possible to hold wiring / piping materials P (PS, PL) of different diameters. When the overlap of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 is advanced in order to hold wiring / piping material P of a predetermined diameter, a hinge-side space 105 as an air gap is inevitably formed between the hinge 130 and the holding space 101. In contrast, an auxiliary piece 140 is provided that rises from the inner surface of the first holding piece 110 into the holding space 101 with its tip as a free end. The auxiliary piece 140 is located between the wiring / piping material P placed in the holding space 101 and the hinge 130, and has a contact portion 142 that can abut against the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material P. The auxiliary piece 140 blocks communication between the holding space 101 and the hinge-side space 105 and contacts the wiring / piping material P placed in the holding space 101 from the hinge 130 side. This prevents the gripped wiring / piping material P from escaping from the holding space 101 to the hinge-side space 105. Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 140 is configured such that when the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 overlap to reduce the holding space 101 in order to hold the wiring / piping material P, the tip of the auxiliary piece 140 contacts the inner surface of the second holding piece 120. The auxiliary piece 140 can bias and support the wiring / piping material P from the hinge-side space 105 in conjunction with the overlapping operation of the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120. Therefore, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment makes it possible to more stably hold wiring and piping materials P (PS, PL) of different diameters.

[0090] Fourth, according to the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment, the tip portion of the first holding piece 110 and the tip portion of the second holding piece 120 overlap to form an annular holding space 101 surrounding the wiring and piping material P. In particular, by displacing the second holding piece 120 so as to overlap with the first holding piece 110 from the outside of the holding space 101, the locking state of the first locking portion (first locking tooth row 113) on the outer surface of the second holding piece 120 and the second locking portion (second locking tooth row 123) on the inner surface of the second holding piece 120 is formed and maintained. That is, the wiring and piping material P can be held by the first holding piece 110 and the second holding piece 120 through a simple and intuitive operation of overlapping the second holding piece 120 with the first holding piece 110 from the outside of the holding space 101. On the other hand, the first locking portion and the second locking portion can be released relatively easily by separating from each other in a direction different from the locking direction. In contrast, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment has two separate pieces 121, 121 having independent free ends arranged side by side at the tip of the second holding piece 120, and each separate piece 121 is provided with a second locking tooth row 123, thereby preventing the first locking part and the second locking part from being easily released unintentionally. That is, the second locking tooth row 123 of one separate piece 121 and the second locking tooth row 123 of the other separate piece 121 can independently form a locked state with each opposing first locking tooth row 113, and can also be separated from each first locking tooth row 113. In other words, in order to release the holding of the wiring and piping material P, it is necessary to operate the two separate pieces 121, 121 so as to separate the second locking part from the first locking part. Even if a force is unexpectedly applied to one of the two separating pieces 121 in a direction that separates the first locking portion and the second locking portion, causing the locking state to be released, the locking state of the other separating piece 121 is maintained, thus preventing the complete release of the wiring / piping material P. Since the situation in which a force is unexpectedly applied to both of the two separating pieces 121 in a direction that separates the first locking portion and the second locking portion is extremely rare, the configuration of this embodiment effectively prevents the unexpected release of the wiring / piping material P.Therefore, the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment stably maintains the holding state of the wiring and piping material P, and enables the holding of the wiring and piping material P with simpler operation.

[0091] Fifth, according to the wiring and piping material holder 100 of this embodiment, when the overlapping of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 progresses, an engagement blocking means is provided to prevent the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 from engaging with a number of pairs less than a specific number N (>1) (i.e., 1 to (N-1) pairs). That is, as the overlapping of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120 progresses and the number of pairs of opposing locking teeth that are in a position where they can engage increases, the engagement blocking means prevents the engagement of the opposing locking teeth before the number of pairs of opposing locking teeth reaches N pairs. Then, when the overlapping progresses further and the number of pairs of opposing locking teeth reaches a specific number N, the first engagement between the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 113 and the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 123 occurs, and the engagement of a specific number N pairs of locking teeth is formed simultaneously. During the overlapping operation after this initial engagement position, the user can feel and hear the interlocking of the locking teeth. In other words, because the engagement prevention means prevents the interlocking of locking teeth with fewer than N pairs, the user is not given the misconception that the tightening operation is complete with an insufficient number of pairs (less than a specific number N) of engagement during the tightening operation of the wiring / piping material P that allows the overlapping of the first retaining piece 110 and the second retaining piece 120. Therefore, the wiring / piping material holder 100 of this embodiment makes it possible to prevent the user from mistakenly judging the completion of the tightening operation.

[0092] [Second Embodiment] The wiring / piping material holder 200 of the second embodiment of the present invention, like the first embodiment, is fixed to a structure such as building material or wall material and used for arranging wiring / piping materials in relation to the structure. In this embodiment, the structure to which the wiring / piping material holder 200 is fixed is a building material 21 having an installation surface (or arrangement surface) on one side, and the wiring / piping material P is exemplified as a straight pipe. The configuration of the wiring / piping material holder 200 of the present invention will be described below. The wiring / piping material holder 200 of the second embodiment is provided with an additional clamping piece 250 compared to the wiring / piping material holder 100 of the first embodiment. In the three-digit component names, components whose last two digits are common have the same or similar characteristics unless otherwise explained, and their explanation will be partially omitted.

[0093] Figures 25(a) and (b) are perspective views of a wiring and piping material holder 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 26 is a front view of the wiring and piping material holder 200. Figures 27(a) to (d) are a top view, left side view, right side view, and bottom view of the wiring and piping material holder 200. Figures 28 to 31 are cross-sectional views of various parts of the wiring and piping material holder 200.

[0094] The wiring and piping material holder 200 of this embodiment includes a first holding piece 210 extending from the base end to the tip, a second holding piece 220 extending from the base end to the tip and cooperating with the first holding piece 210 to surround the wiring and piping material P and hold it along the installation direction, a hinge 230 that rotatably connects the base end side of the first holding piece 210 and the base end side of the second holding piece 220, an auxiliary piece 240 rising from the inner surface of the first holding piece 210 with its tip as a free end, and a clamped piece 250 extending from the inner surface of the second holding piece 220 toward the tip side of the second holding piece 220 with its tip as a free end into the holding space 201. In the wiring and piping material holder 200 of this embodiment, the first retaining piece 210, the second retaining piece 220, the hinge 230, the auxiliary piece 240, and the piece to be clamped 250 are integrally formed.

[0095] As shown in Figures 25 to 27, in the initial form of the wiring / piping material holder 200 (without holding the wiring / piping material P), an opening 203 for introducing the wiring / piping material P into the inside is formed between the tip of the first retaining piece 210 and the tip of the second retaining piece 220. Communicating with this opening 203, a holding space 201 for holding the wiring / piping material P is defined inside the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220. Then, the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 rotate or displace relative to each other around the hinge 230, and the tip portions of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 overlap, thereby forming an annular holding space 201 that surrounds the wiring / piping material P in the circumferential direction. At this time, the second retaining piece 220 overlaps with the first retaining piece 210 from the outside (radially outward) of the holding space 201. This closed retaining space 201 can be maintained by the locking of the first locking portion (first locking teeth row 213) of the first retaining piece 210 and the second locking portion (second locking teeth row 223) of the second retaining piece 220. Furthermore, whether the opening 203 is open or closed, a hinge-side space 205 is formed between the retaining space 201 and the hinge 230 as an extra gap where no wiring or piping material P is placed.

[0096] Furthermore, the wiring and piping material holder 200 can gradually reduce the size of the holding space 201 by gradually increasing the overlapping of the tip portions while maintaining the locked state. That is, as the amount of overlapping of the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220 increases, the amount of locking of the first locking portion and the second locking portion increases, or the relative locking position of the first locking portion and the second locking portion changes. Figure 32 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wiring and piping material holder 200 showing the form in which the overlapping of the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220 has been fully progressed and the holding space 201 has been reduced to its smallest size.

[0097] Furthermore, the wiring and piping material holder 200 of this embodiment is configured to be connectable to other wiring and piping material holders 200 in a direction of alignment intersecting the installation direction. That is, the wiring and piping material holder 200 includes a connecting mechanism that connects one wiring and piping material holder 200 to another wiring and piping material holder 200 adjacent to the first wiring and piping material holder 200 in a direction of alignment intersecting the installation direction. The connecting mechanism consists of an engaging portion 218 and an engaged portion 219, but in this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the engaging portion 218 does not tilt inward of the first side portion 211a to change its protrusion amount.

[0098] The following describes in detail each component of the wiring and piping material holder 200 of this embodiment.

[0099] The first retaining piece 210 extends from the base end to the tip end and consists of a block-shaped wall portion located from the base end to the center and an arm-shaped wall portion erected at the tip end of the block-shaped wall portion. This arm-shaped wall portion constitutes the tip portion of the first retaining piece 210. A thin-walled hinge 230 is connected to the base end of the block-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 210. The first retaining piece 210 comprises a base portion 211 which serves as a base to be fixed to a structure, a first gripping portion 212 connected to the base portion 211 which has an arc-shaped recess on its inner surface for gripping wiring and piping material P, and a first locking portion (first locking tooth row 213) for maintaining the enclosure of wiring and piping material P by the retaining space 201.

[0100] The first gripping portion 212 is located above the base portion 211 and has an arc-shaped recess extending from the base end to the tip of the first retaining piece 210 to grip the wiring / piping material P. At the tip end of the first retaining piece 210, a portion of the first gripping portion 212 rises up relative to the base portion 211. The first gripping portion 212 is formed as a curved surface with a substantially arc shape in cross-sectional view on the inner surface of the recess facing the second retaining piece 220. This curved surface is defined as the first arc portion. The arc shape of the first arc portion is defined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumference shape of the wiring / piping material PL).

[0101] On the arc-shaped curved outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 210, a first locking tooth row 213 is formed as a first locking portion, consisting of a plurality of locking teeth formed continuously in the direction of the progression of polymerization. The first locking tooth row 213, blocking wall portion 214, dividing wall 215, and groove portion 216 provided on the first retaining piece 210 have the same form and function as those of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0102] The second retaining piece 220 consists of a strip extending in an arch shape from the base end to the tip end. The second retaining piece 220 has a base end portion that is curved in an arc shape and a tip portion that is connected to the base end portion and is more gently curved. A thin hinge 230 is connected to the base end portion of the second retaining piece 220. The curved shape of the tip portion of the second retaining piece 220 corresponds to the curved shape of the outer surface of the arm-shaped wall portion of the first retaining piece 210 in order to overlap with the tip portion of the first retaining piece 210.

[0103] The tip portion of the second retaining piece 220 is provided with a separating piece 221 that is separated in the width direction over a predetermined length from the circumferential tip. The two separating pieces 221 have independent free ends. One of the two separating pieces 221 and the other are independently elastically flexible and deformable radially inward and outward around their base ends. The two separating pieces 221 are formed side by side in the width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the second retaining piece 220 and are separated in the width direction by a dividing groove 225 of a predetermined width. This dividing groove 225 has a width that allows it to pass through the dividing wall 215 of the first retaining piece 210.

[0104] The second retaining piece 220 includes a second gripping portion 222 having an arc-shaped recess formed on its inner surface for gripping the wiring / piping material P, and a second locking portion (second locking tooth row 223) for maintaining the enclosure of the wiring / piping material P by the retaining space 201.

[0105] The second gripping portion 222 has an arc-shaped recess that grips the wiring / piping material P along the direction of extension from the base end to the tip of the second retaining piece 220. The second gripping portion 222 is formed as a curved surface with a substantially arc shape in cross-sectional view on the inner surface of the recess facing the first retaining piece 210. This curved surface is defined as the second arc portion. The second arc portion is located on the base end side of the second gripping portion 222. The arc shape of the second arc portion is determined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumference shape of the wiring / piping material PL).

[0106] Furthermore, the second retaining piece 220 is provided with a relief portion 227 that extends radially outward at the tip of the second arc portion, so as to form a space that allows the clamped piece 250 to be displaced outward from the holding space 201. In other words, the relief portion 227 is a portion that forms a space between the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 and the outer surface of the clamped piece 250 in which the clamped piece 250 can tilt.

[0107] On the inner surface of the tip portion of the second retaining piece 220, a second locking tooth row 223 is formed as a second locking portion, consisting of multiple locking teeth (three in this case) formed continuously in the direction of polymerization. The second locking tooth row 223, the protruding portion 224, the dividing groove 225, and the release operation portion 228 provided on the second retaining piece 220 have the same form and function as those of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0108] The auxiliary piece 240 is provided to prevent the wiring / piping material P held in the holding space 201 from escaping into the hinge-side space 205. The auxiliary piece 240 is an arc-shaped strip that rises from the inner surface of the first holding piece 210 with its tip as a free end toward the inner surface of the second holding piece 220 with a predetermined protruding length. The auxiliary piece 240 is positioned between the wiring / piping material P placed in the holding space 201 and the hinge 230. In particular, the auxiliary piece 240 is connected to the base end of the first arc portion and is positioned slightly toward the hinge 230 side than the center of the holding space 201 of the first holding piece 210. In this embodiment, the auxiliary piece 240 rises into the space toward the hinge 230 side of the holding space 201 when holding the wiring / piping material PS of the corresponding minimum diameter. The auxiliary piece 240 is also erected so as to face the inner surface of the tip portion of the first holding piece 210. Furthermore, a space is formed on the hinge 230 side of the auxiliary piece 240 that allows the auxiliary piece 240 to tilt toward the hinge 230. This space is a retraction space for the inner surface of the auxiliary piece 240 (the side that abuts the wiring / piping material P) to retract to a position where it is aligned with the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220. In addition, the distance between the tip of the auxiliary piece 240 and the tip of the first retaining piece 210 is smaller than the diameter of the wiring / piping material PL at its maximum diameter.

[0109] The auxiliary piece 240 comprises a base end portion 241 that is elastically flexible and deformable at its base end, and a contact portion 242 that can abut against the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material P. The base end portion 241 is a relatively thin portion of the auxiliary piece 240 and assists in the elastic tilting of the auxiliary piece 240. The contact portion 242 has an arc-shaped curved surface that faces the tip side of the first retaining piece 210 in order to abut against the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material P. The curved surface of the contact portion 242 is determined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumferential shape of the wiring / piping material PL).

[0110] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 28, the contact portion 242 is elastically displaceable so as to tilt from its initial position around the base portion 241 toward both the hinge 230 side and the tip side. In particular, when introducing wiring / piping material PL of the maximum corresponding diameter into the holding space 201, the auxiliary piece 240 can also tilt toward the hinge 230 side and cooperate with the inner surface of the tip portion of the first holding piece 210 facing the inner surface of the contact portion 242 to clamp the wiring / piping material PL, thereby temporarily holding the wiring / piping material PL.

[0111] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 240 is configured such that when the retaining space 201 in which the wiring and piping materials P are placed is reduced, the tip of the auxiliary piece 240 contacts the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 (without tilting the auxiliary piece 240 toward the hinge 230). As shown in Figure 32, when the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 are completely overlapped, the tip of the auxiliary piece 240 is in a position where it interferes with the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 in its initial position (dummy line). Therefore, the auxiliary piece 240 is pressed by the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 from the hinge 230 side toward the tip of the second retaining piece 220, and is moved toward the tip of the second retaining piece 220 from its initial position, tilting toward the center of the retaining space 201. In this way, the position and protruding length of the auxiliary piece 240 were determined so that the tip of the auxiliary piece 240 contacts or presses against the inner surface (inner surface of the second arc portion) of the second retaining piece 220.

[0112] The clamped piece 250 extends from the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 toward the tip of the second retaining piece 220, with its tip being a free end, and is configured to be clamped between the wiring / piping material P placed in the retaining space 201 and the first retaining piece 210 or the second retaining piece 220. The clamped piece 250 extends circumferentially for a predetermined length such that its outer surface is spaced apart from the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 and faces the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220. The clamped piece 250 has a thin plate-shaped base end portion 251 that can be bent and deformed at the base end, an arc-shaped plate-shaped extension portion 252 extending from the base end portion 251, and a clamped portion 253 that expands radially (inward and outward) toward the retaining space 201 at the tip end of the extension portion 252, with a tapered tip. The clamped piece 250 may be displaced to tilt or rotate radially outward due to the bending deformation of its base end 251, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 28.

[0113] The clamped piece 250 has an arc-shaped inner surface that faces the center of the holding space 201 from its base to its tip. The inner surface of the clamped piece 250 is determined to coincide with the circumference of the corresponding maximum diameter (i.e., the outer circumference shape of the wiring / piping material PL). That is, the first arc portion of the first holding piece 210, the second arc portion of the second holding piece 220, the inner surface of the contact portion 242, and the inner surface of the clamped piece 250 have the same curvature and are configured to be located on the same circumference of the diameter of the wiring / piping material PL. In addition, a space is provided between the outer surface of the clamped piece 250 and the inner surface of the second holding piece 220 to allow the clamped piece 250 to be displaced outward from the holding space 201. This space is formed inside the relief portion 227 of the second holding piece 220.

[0114] The clamped portion 253 is formed to protrude outward (radially outward) from the outer surface of the extended portion 252, which extends with a substantially uniform thickness. The clamped portion 253 gradually increases in thickness from its base to the center, with the thickest point being approximately in the center, and then gradually thinning outwards toward the tip. Furthermore, the clamped portion 253 has an arc-shaped outer surface facing radially outward at the tip end where it becomes thinner. The outer surface of the tip end of the clamped portion 253 is an arc-shaped surface having the same or approximate curvature as the first arc end, so that the clamped portion 253 can slide circumferentially on the first arc end.

[0115] Then, as shown in Figure 32, in a configuration where the overlapping of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 has progressed completely and the retaining space 201 has been reduced as much as possible, the outer surface of the clamped portion 253 is displaced so as to press against the first arc portion. At this time, the clamped portion 253 of the clamped piece 250 is positioned to face the contact portion 242 of the auxiliary piece 240 via the center of the retaining space 201. The clamped portion 253 then functions to effectively fill the excess space between the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210 and the inner surface of the auxiliary piece 240 (i.e., the space near the tip of the first retaining piece 210). Furthermore, the clamped piece 250 is configured such that as the overlapping of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 progresses and the overlap between the clamped portion 253 and the first retaining piece 210 increases, the tip of the clamped piece 250 slides along the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210, gradually reducing the space (inter-surface distance) between the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped portion 253. At this time, the tip of the clamped piece 250 is pressed against the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210, causing the clamped portion 253 to bend and deform so that it separates from the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220.

[0116] Next, we will describe an installation structure 20 in which wiring and piping material PS of the smallest corresponding diameter is held and arranged on a building material 21 (structure) using the wiring and piping material holder 200 of this embodiment. Figure 33 is a schematic perspective view of the installation structure 20. Figure 34 is a schematic front view of the installation structure 20. Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view of the installation structure 20 taken from E'-E'. Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view of the installation structure 20 taken from F'-F'.

[0117] In the installation structure 20, the wiring and piping material PS is held in the closed holding space 201 of the wiring and piping material holder 200. As shown in Figure 35, the tip portions of the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220 overlap, and the second locking tooth row 223 engages with the first locking tooth row 213 from the radially outside, thereby maintaining the closed state of the holding space 201. In the installation structure 20 that holds the wiring and piping material PS having the minimum corresponding diameter, the three locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 223 engage with the three locking teeth at the rearmost end of the first locking tooth row 213 so as to maximize the amount of overlap between the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220. As a result, the state in which the holding space 201 surrounding the wiring and piping material PS is minimized is maintained.

[0118] In the installation structure 20, as shown in Figure 35, the wiring and piping material PS is held by the first gripping portion 212 of the first holding piece 210, the contact portion 242 of the auxiliary piece 240, and the clamped portion 253 of the clamped piece 250, which are pressed against the outer surface of the wiring and piping material PS. As a result, the wiring and piping material PS is held stably so as not to move around within the holding space 201.

[0119] As shown in Figure 35, the auxiliary piece 240 is positioned between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PS and the hinge 230. The auxiliary piece 240 blocks communication between the holding space 201 and the hinge-side space 205. Furthermore, the tip of the auxiliary piece 240 is engaged with the inner surface of the second gripping portion 222 of the second holding piece 220 in a tilted position from its original position toward the center of the holding space 201. The auxiliary piece 240 is pressed by the inner surface of the second gripping portion 222 from the hinge 230 side toward the center of the holding space 201 (the tip side of the first holding piece 210 or the second holding piece 220). And, since the auxiliary piece 240 supports the wiring / piping material PS from the hinge 230 side, it does not tilt further toward the hinge-side space 205. Therefore, the auxiliary piece 240 prevents the wiring / piping material PS from escaping from the holding space 201 toward the hinge-side space 205. Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 240 is positioned to brace against the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210 and the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220. As a result, the pivot point for the rotation of the second retaining piece 220 relative to the first retaining piece 210 moves from the hinge 230 to the tip of the auxiliary piece 240, preventing smooth rotation in the direction that reverses the overlap of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 around the hinge 230. Consequently, it is possible to maintain a stronger locking state between the first locking part and the second locking part.

[0120] Furthermore, the clamped piece 250 is clamped between the wiring / piping material PS and the first retaining piece 210, which are located in the retaining space 201, at a different position from the auxiliary piece 240. Here, the entire clamped portion 253 is sandwiched between the wiring / piping material PS and the first retaining piece 210. In other words, the clamped portion 253 occupies the excess space between the wiring / piping material PS and the inner surface of the tip side of the first retaining piece 210. The clamped piece 250 is positioned opposite the auxiliary piece 240, sandwiching the wiring / piping material PS. Also, the tapered tip of the clamped portion 253 fits into the gap between the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210 and the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PS, filling the gap. At this time, the arc-shaped outer surface of the clamped portion 253 is pressed against the first arc portion, and the clamped portion 253 is biased toward the center of the retaining space 201. In other words, the clamped piece 250 biases the wiring / piping material PS, which is placed in the holding space 201, toward the center of the holding space 201 from the opposite side of the auxiliary piece 240. As a result, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 work together to press the wiring / piping material PS toward the center of the holding space 201. Therefore, in the installation structure 20, the wiring / piping material holder 200 stably holds the wiring / piping material PS.

[0121] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 240 acts to press the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 radially outward, and the clamped piece 250 acts to press the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210 radially outward. This pressing force biases the opposing surfaces (overlapping surfaces) of the tip portions of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 toward each other. As a result, the radial engagement of the first locking tooth row 213 and the second locking tooth row 223 is strengthened.

[0122] Figure 37 shows an alternative installation structure 20-1 in which the wiring / piping material PL with the largest diameter among the corresponding wiring / piping materials P is arranged in relation to the installation structure 20 of Figure 35. In this installation structure 20-1, the wiring / piping material PL is held in the closed holding space 201 of the wiring / piping material holder 200. The tip portions of the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220 overlap, and the second locking tooth row 223 engages with the first locking tooth row 213 from the radially outside, thereby maintaining the closed state of the holding space 201. In the installation structure 20-1 that holds the wiring / piping material PL with the largest corresponding diameter, the three locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 223 engage with the three locking teeth at the very front of the first locking tooth row 213 so as to minimize the amount of overlap between the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220. The locking surfaces of the first locking teeth 213 and the second locking teeth 223 are locked in the circumferential direction, which restricts the relative movement of the second retaining piece 220 relative to the first retaining piece 210 in the direction of receding polymerization. As a result, the retaining space 201 surrounding the wiring and piping material PL is maintained at its maximum size.

[0123] As shown in Figure 37, the wiring / piping material PL is gripped by the arc portion of the first gripping portion 212, the arc portion of the second gripping portion 222, the inner surface of the auxiliary piece 240, and the inner surface of the clamped piece 250, respectively, contacting the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material PL. At this time, the first arc portion, the second arc portion, and the inner surfaces of the contact portion 242 and the clamped portion 253 are located on the same circumference, substantially coinciding with the outer circumferential surface of the wiring / piping material PL. Therefore, the wiring / piping material PL is stably gripped by the wiring / piping material holder 200 without any gaps, preventing it from moving around in the holding space 201. Furthermore, when holding a wiring / piping material PL with the maximum corresponding diameter, the holding position of the wiring / piping material PL is determined to be one location within the holding space 201, eliminating the need to confirm the position of the wiring / piping material PL or to align the wiring / piping material PL.

[0124] Furthermore, the auxiliary piece 240 is positioned between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PL and the hinge 230. The auxiliary piece 240 is tilted to a position close to the hinge 230. The auxiliary piece 240 blocks communication between the holding space 201 and the hinge-side space 205. In addition, the auxiliary piece 240 assumes a retracted position toward the hinge 230 from its original position, and the auxiliary piece 240 is spaced apart from the inner surface of the second holding piece 220. That is, when holding the wiring / piping material PL with the maximum diameter, the auxiliary piece 240 is retracted to a position where it is not pressed toward the tip side by the inner surface of the second holding piece 220 (or is not moved along with it). On the other hand, the clamped piece 250 is in contact with the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PL while retracted toward the radially outward relief portion 227 so as to abut against the inner surface of the second holding piece 220. The clamped piece 250 is clamped between the wiring / piping material PL, which is placed in the holding space 201, and the inner surface of the second holding piece 220. The auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 are positioned opposite each other, with the wiring / piping material PL in between. The auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 bias the wiring / piping material PL toward the center of the holding space 201 by their elastic restoring force. Similarly, when holding the wiring / piping material PL of the maximum corresponding diameter, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 work together to push the wiring / piping material PL toward the center of the holding space 201. Therefore, in the installation structure 20-1, the wiring / piping material holder 200 stably holds the wiring / piping material PL.

[0125] Figure 38 shows an alternative installation structure 20-2 in which an intermediate-diameter wiring / piping material PM is installed in relation to the installation structure 20 of Figure 35. In this installation structure 20-2, the wiring / piping material PM is held in the closed holding space 201 of the wiring / piping material holder 200. The tip portions of the first holding piece 210 and the second holding piece 220 overlap, and the second locking tooth row 223 engages with the first locking tooth row 213 from the radially outside, thereby maintaining the closed state of the holding space 201.

[0126] In the installation structure 20-2, similar to the installation structure 20, the auxiliary piece 240 is positioned between the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PM and the hinge 230, and the tip of the auxiliary piece 240 engages with the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210, thereby blocking communication between the retaining space 201 and the hinge-side space 205. The clamped piece 250 is clamped between the wiring / piping material PM, which is placed in the retaining space 201, and the first retaining piece 210 at a different position from the auxiliary piece 240. Here, a part of the clamped portion 253 (only the tip portion) is clamped between the wiring / piping material PM and the first retaining piece 210. The clamped piece 250 is positioned opposite the auxiliary piece 240, with the wiring / piping material PM in between. The tapered tip of the clamped portion 253 fits into the gap between the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210 and the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PM, filling the void. At this time, the arc-shaped outer surface of the clamped portion 253 is pressed against the first arc portion, and the clamped portion 253 is biased toward the center of the holding space 201. That is, the clamped piece 250 biases the wiring / piping material PM, which is placed in the holding space 201, toward the center of the holding space 201 from the opposite side of the auxiliary piece 240. As a result, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 work together to press the wiring / piping material PM toward the center of the holding space 201. Therefore, in the installation structure 20-2, the wiring / piping material holder 200 stably holds the wiring / piping material PM.

[0127] In other words, as shown in Figures 35, 37, and 38, the wiring / piping material holder 200 can stably hold wiring / piping materials P (PS, PL, PM) of different diameters from the minimum to the maximum, by appropriately displacing the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 according to the diameter of the wiring / piping material P to be gripped.

[0128] Next, with reference to Figure 39, each step of the method for gripping the wiring / piping material PS of the smallest applicable diameter with the wiring / piping material holder 200 will be illustrated.

[0129] First, the opening 203 of the wiring / piping material holder 200 is opened, and the wiring / piping material PS is inserted into the holding space 201 through the opening 203. As shown in Figure 39(a), the wiring / piping material PS is positioned between the tip of the first holding piece 210 and the auxiliary piece 240. At this time, the wiring / piping material P is placed near the center of the holding space 201. Then, the second holding piece 220 is rotated around the hinge 230 in the direction of closing the opening 203. The tip of the first holding piece 210 and the tip of the second holding piece 220 are overlapped, and the first locking tooth row 213 and the second locking tooth row 223 are engaged. Here, the engagement-blocking means prevents two or fewer locking teeth of the second locking tooth row 223 from engaging with the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row 213, and only after the overlapping progresses to a position where three sets of locking teeth face each other is the locking state formed by the first locking part and the second locking part (see Figure 17).

[0130] After the locking state is initially formed, as the overlapping of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220 progresses, as shown in Figure 39(b), the inner surface of the second retaining piece 220 comes into contact with the tip of the auxiliary piece 240, and the outer surface of the clamped piece 250 comes into contact with the inner surface of the first retaining piece 210. At this time, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 face each other at a predetermined inter-face distance. As the overlapping progresses, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 slide or move circumferentially on the inner surfaces of the second retaining piece 220 and the first retaining piece 210, elastically tilting toward the center of the holding space 201, and the inter-face distance between the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 narrows. As the overlap between the clamped portion 253 of the clamped piece 250 and the first holding piece 210 increases, the distance between the faces of the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 decreases, and the space between the contact portion 242 of the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped portion 253 also decreases. If the tightening operation is continued to reduce the holding space 201, the inner surface of the clamped portion 253 (or the inner surface of the contact portion 242) will come into contact with the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PS, as shown in Figure 39(c).

[0131] Furthermore, when the second retaining piece 220 is tightened firmly against the first retaining piece 210, the wiring / piping material PS is sandwiched between the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 in the center of the holding space 201, as shown in Figure 39(d). The auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 work together to bias or press the wiring / piping material PS toward the center of the holding space 201, thereby keeping it in place. As a result, the wiring / piping material PS is firmly gripped by the wiring / piping material holder 200 and can be stably held in the holding space 201. In addition, throughout the series of steps, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 work in conjunction around the wiring / piping material PS, which prevents the wiring / piping material PS from moving significantly from its initial position within the holding space 201.

[0132] Referring to Figure 40, each step of the method for gripping the wiring / piping material PL of the maximum diameter using the wiring / piping material holder 200 is illustrated.

[0133] First, the opening 203 of the wiring / piping material holder 200 is opened, and the wiring / piping material PL is inserted into the holding space 201 through the opening 203. As shown in Figure 40(a), the wiring / piping material PL is positioned between the tip of the first holding piece 210 and the auxiliary piece 240. At this time, since the distance between the tip of the first holding piece 210 and the auxiliary piece 240 is smaller than the diameter of the wiring / piping material PL, the wiring / piping material PL is placed near the center of the holding space 201 while the auxiliary piece 240 is elastically tilted radially outward. Due to the elastic restoring force of the auxiliary piece 240, the wiring / piping material PL is temporarily held between the first holding piece 210 and the auxiliary piece 240.

[0134] Then, as shown in Figure 40(b), when the second retaining piece 220 is rotated around the hinge 230 in the direction of closing the opening 203, the inner surface of the clamped piece 250 comes into contact with the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PL. As the overlapping progresses further, as shown in Figure 40(c), the inner surface of the clamped piece 250 slides on the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PL, and the clamped piece 250 tilts toward the radially outward relief portion 227. Then, the tip portion of the first retaining piece 210 and the tip portion of the second retaining piece 220 overlap, and the first locking tooth row 213 and the second locking tooth row 223 engage. As a result, as shown in Figure 40(d), the clamped piece 250 retracts completely, and its extended portion 252 is sandwiched between the wiring / piping material PL and the second retaining piece 220. Then, the first retaining piece 210, the second retaining piece 220, the auxiliary piece 240, and the clamped piece 250 are pressed against the outer surface of the wiring / piping material PL without any gaps. As a result, the wiring / piping material PL can be firmly gripped by the wiring / piping material holder 200 and stably held in the holding space 201. Throughout the above series of steps, by maintaining the state in which the wiring / piping material PL is temporarily held, it is suppressed that the wiring / piping material PL moves significantly from its initial placement position within the holding space 201.

[0135] Furthermore, in the above step of the method for gripping wiring / piping materials P with the wiring / piping material holder 200 of this embodiment, a fixing part (insertion part 211e) for fixing to a structure is provided on the first holding piece 210, and a holding part (holding space 201) is positioned above the fixing part. Therefore, even if the diameter of the wiring / piping materials P to be held is different, it is possible to maintain a constant relative holding position of the wiring / piping materials P with respect to the fixing part. As a result, the positioning of the wiring / piping materials P can be easily performed.

[0136] The following describes the operation and effects of the wiring / piping material holder 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note that the operation and effects common to the wiring / piping material holder 100 will not be described.

[0137] According to the wiring and piping material holder 200 of this embodiment, the clamped piece 250 is clamped between the wiring and piping material P, which is placed in the holding space 201, and the first holding piece 210 or the second holding piece 220 at a position different from that of the auxiliary piece 240. This further fills the gap (excess space) in the holding space 201, making it possible to hold the wiring and piping material P more stably. The clamped piece 250 has a base end portion 251 that can be bent and deformed at the base end, and a clamped portion 253 that expands in the inward and outward direction of the holding space 201 at the tip end of the base end portion 251, with a tapered tip. The clamped portion 253 that expands in the inward and outward direction of the holding space 201 can be elastically tilted by the bending deformation of the base end portion 251. This makes it possible to further reduce the gap between the first retaining piece 210 or the second retaining piece 220 and the wiring / piping material P in the space on the tip side of the first retaining piece 210 and the second retaining piece 220. Also, because the tip of the clamped piece 250 is tapered, it can fit into the gap between the first retaining piece 210 and the wiring / piping material P (placed in the retaining space 201) and effectively fill that gap. As the overlap between the clamped portion 253 and the first retaining piece 210 increases, the space between the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped portion 253 decreases. The clamped piece 250 biases the wiring / piping material P placed in the retaining space 201 toward the center of the retaining space 201 from the opposite side of the auxiliary piece 240. As a result, the auxiliary piece 240 and the clamped piece 250 form part of the outer edge of the retaining space 201 on their inner surfaces and work together to push the wiring / piping material P toward the center of the retaining space. As a result, the wiring / piping material holder 200 can hold the wiring / piping material P more stably.

[0138] [Differentiation] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. Modifications of the present invention will be described below.

[0139] (1) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. In the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment, the first retaining piece is provided with a fixing portion (fixing surface and insertion portion) and the second retaining piece is provided with a release operation portion, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the second retaining piece may be a retaining piece that has a release operation portion and a fixing portion like the first retaining piece of the above embodiment.

[0140] (2) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. In the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment, two separating pieces are formed at the tip of the second retaining piece, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the tip of the second retaining piece does not have to be separated, in which case the locking can be released in a single operation.

[0141] (3) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. In the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment, the first retaining piece, the second retaining piece and the hinge are integrally formed, but they may be made by combining separate parts. The rigid first retaining piece and the second retaining piece may be connected by an axial hinge, and the first retaining piece and the second retaining piece may rotate around the hinge.

[0142] (4) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, at least one of the components of the auxiliary piece, clamped piece, connecting mechanism, and engagement blocking means may be omitted from the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment.

[0143] (5) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. In the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment, a locking tooth row having a large number of locking teeth is formed on the side of the first retaining piece fixed to the structure, and a locking tooth row having a small number of locking teeth is formed on the side of the second retaining piece. However, the relationship between the first locking tooth row and the second locking tooth row may be reversed, and a locking tooth row consisting of a large number of locking teeth may be formed on the inner surface of the second retaining piece, and a locking tooth row consisting of a small number of locking teeth may be formed on the outer surface of the first retaining piece.

[0144] (6) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. In the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment, the number of locking teeth of the first locking tooth row (first locking part) is large, and the number of locking teeth of the second locking tooth row (second locking part) is three. Since all the locking teeth of the second locking tooth row engage with the locking teeth of the first locking tooth row simultaneously, the locking position changes depending on the amount of overlap of the first retaining piece and the second retaining piece, but the amount of locking (number of engagements) between the first locking part and the second locking part is constant. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, in the present invention, the second locking tooth row may be composed of a large number of teeth so as to be formed over the entire overlappable portion of the second retaining piece. In such a configuration, as the amount of overlap of the first retaining piece and the second retaining piece increases, the amount of locking between the first locking part and the second locking part may increase.

[0145] (7) The wiring and piping material holder of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. In the wiring and piping material holder of the above embodiment, both the first locking part and the second locking part are composed of locking teeth, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, one of the first locking part and the second locking part may be a pin or claw, and the other may be a hole or groove.

[0146] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments or modifications described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention. That is, within the technical scope of the present invention, some configurations of this embodiment may be omitted or modified, or other configurations may be added. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0147] 10,20 Installation structure 11,21 Building materials, structures 13 Wall materials 15,25 Bis 100,200 Wiring and piping material holders 101,201 Holding space (holding part) 103,203 Open area 105,205 Hinge-side space 110,210 1st holding piece 111,211 base 111a, 211a First side 111b, 211b Second side 111c,211c Fixed surface 111d, 211d recess 111e, 211e Insertion section 112,212 1st gripping part 112a Rib 113,213 First locking dentition (first locking portion) 114,214 Blocking wall (engagement blocking means) 115,215 Divided wall (regulating section) 115a, 215a Guide edge 116,216 Recessed sections (guide passages, receiving recesses) 118,218 Engagement part (connection mechanism) 118a proximal end 118b Main body 118c Engagement groove 119,219 Engaged part (connection mechanism) 120,220 2nd holding piece 121,212 Separated piece 122,222 2nd grip part 122a Rib 123,223 Second locking dentition (second locking area) 124,224 Protruding parts (engagement blocking means, guiding protrusions, blocking protrusions) 125,225 dividing groove 227 Escape Department 128,228 Release operation part 130,230 hinges 140,240 Auxiliary piece 141,241 Proximal end 142,242 Contact part 142a Rib 250 Clamped piece 251 Proximal end 252 Clamped part P Wiring and Piping Materials PS compatible wiring and piping materials with the smallest diameter PL-compliant wiring and piping materials with the largest diameter. PM Intermediate diameter wiring and piping materials T Operating Tools (Screwdriver)

Claims

1. A wiring / piping material holder for holding wiring / piping materials, a first holding piece extending from a base end to a tip end; a second holding piece connected to the first holding piece, extending from the base end to the tip end and cooperating with the first holding piece to surround the wiring / piping material and hold it along the arrangement direction; The tip portion of the first holding piece and the tip portion of the second holding piece overlap to form an annular holding space surrounding the wiring / piping material, and the second holding piece overlaps with the first holding piece from outside the holding space, a first locking portion and a second locking portion are provided on an outer surface of the first holding piece and an inner surface of the second holding piece, the first locking portion and the second locking portion being locked to each other so as to maintain the overlapping of the first holding piece and the second holding piece; the first locking portion and the second locking portion are configured to allow relative movement in a forward direction that increases the amount of overlap between the first holding piece and the second holding piece, and to restrict relative movement in a backward direction that decreases the amount of overlap, and to release the locked state by the second locking portion moving relatively to the outside of the holding space with respect to the first locking portion, A wiring / piping material holder characterized in that the second holding piece is provided with a release operation portion that protrudes in the arrangement direction so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the wiring / piping material being held across a gap.

2. The gap has a size that allows an operating tool to be inserted between an outer peripheral surface of the wiring / piping material held in the holding space and the release operating portion, 2. The wiring / piping material holder according to claim 1, characterized in that when the operating tool is inserted into the gap, the base end of the operating tool is abutted against the outer peripheral surface of the wiring / piping material, and the tip end of the operating tool is abutted against the release operating unit, and the operating tool is tilted with the outer peripheral surface of the wiring / piping material as a fulcrum and the release operating unit as a point of action, the release operating unit moves away from the wiring / piping material, and the second locking portion moves relatively outside the holding space with respect to the first locking portion.

3. The wiring / piping material holder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first locking portion and the second locking portion are comprised of locking tooth rows consisting of a plurality of locking teeth formed in the direction of progression of the polymerization, and as the amount of polymerization increases, the number of locking teeth in the locking tooth rows that engage with each other increases or the locking position changes.

4. 4. The holder for wiring and piping material according to claim 1, wherein the first holding piece is provided with a fixing portion for fixing to a structure.

5. 5. The holder for wiring and piping material according to claim 1, wherein a base end of the first holding piece and a base end of the second holding piece are rotatably connected by a hinge.

6. 6. The wiring / piping material holder according to claim 1, wherein the release operation portion protrudes on both sides of the second holding piece in the arrangement direction.

7. Two separate pieces having free ends independent of each other are formed at a tip end portion of the second holding piece, and the two separate pieces are each provided with the second locking portion, the second locking portion of one separation piece and the second locking portion of the other separation piece are locked and unlocked with respect to the first locking portion independently of each other; 7. The wire / piping material holder according to claim 1, wherein the release operation portion is formed on each of the two separation pieces.

Images