Snap-Lock Pipe Hanger for Reusable Single-Fastener Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe hangers, such as bent nails, are difficult to reuse and install without damaging, and struggle to maintain pipe slope consistency, while more advanced options are impractical for residential or light commercial use due to cost and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, adjustable pipe hanger made of plastic with a 'scissors' configuration and snaplock mechanism, allowing for easy installation and reuse, featuring a circular ring with prongs that align for secure attachment to a joist using a single nail or screw, and capable of dampening vibrations and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If bent nails are used to support pipes, then the device is simple and inexpensive, but it is difficult to reuse and install without damaging
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe hanger is divided into separate components: a U-shaped body with prongs and a separate clamp mechanism. This segmentation allows the clamp to be opened and closed without deforming the main support structure, enabling reuse while maintaining structural integrity. The prongs can be independently positioned and secured.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe hanger incorporates movable prongs that can be adjusted to different positions along the U-shaped body. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the device to adapt to different pipe sizes and installation requirements, improving both reusability and installation integrity while maintaining simplicity.
2Device complexity
If bent nails are used to support pipes, then the device is simple, but it is difficult to maintain pipe slope consistency
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe hanger includes pre-marked alignment features and adjustable prong positions that are prepared in advance during manufacturing. These preliminary markings guide the installer to achieve consistent pipe slopes without requiring complex adjustment procedures during installation, thus maintaining simplicity while improving precision.
3Reliability
If expensive devices with metal dowels and numerous securing mechanisms are used, then pipe support reliability is improved, but they are impractical for residential or light commercial use due to cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe hanger is designed as a multi-functional device that combines pipe clamping, positioning, and securing functions into a single integrated component. The U-shaped body with adjustable prongs serves both as the support structure and the clamping mechanism, eliminating the need for separate metal dowels and multiple securing mechanisms while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe hanger uses inexpensive plastic or composite materials instead of expensive metals, making it suitable for residential and light commercial applications. While individual units are simple and economical, the design allows for reuse through its adjustable and non-deforming clamp mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A clip for suspending a horizontal pipe from a ceiling joist has a cut ring for supporting the pipe, two prongs projecting from the ring, and securing holes in the prongs for securing the prongs to the joist with a nail or screw. The pipe enters the ring through the cut. The clip is then secured into a closed position, with the cut ends of the cylinder in close contact. Each prong has a lower end, which is angled slightly toward the cut, and an upper end bent at a large angle from the lower end. In closed position, the upper prongs align in parallel, with one prong directly in front of the other. The securing holes in the two prongs are then aligned so that a nail or screw can pass through both of them. The clip, ideally constructed from plastic, is inexpensive and easy to install and reuse.