Pivoting Brace Clamp for Multi-Size Sway Brace Pipe Fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sway brace fittings lack the ability to accommodate multiple sizes of sway brace pipes, and the installation process is difficult and time-consuming due to the need to hold both the sway brace pipe and the fitting while tightening fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A brace clamp with a first jaw and a second jaw pivotably coupled, forming a clamp channel to receive a sway brace pipe, and a clamp fastener coupled to the first jaw, allowing the clamp to be configured in a disengaged and engaged state for easy installation and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional sway brace fittings are used, then the fitting can be attached to the sway brace pipe, but the installation process is difficult and time-consuming because installers must hold both the sway brace pipe and the fitting while tightening fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting is divided into separate components: a body portion with pre-attached fasteners and a pipe clamp portion. This segmentation allows the fasteners to be pre-positioned on the body, eliminating the need for installers to hold both the pipe and fitting simultaneously during fastener installation, thereby reducing installation difficulty and time
Solution Approach 2:
The fasteners are preliminarily attached to the body portion during manufacturing, before installation at the job site. This preliminary action ensures proper fastener positioning and eliminates the need for installers to manually position and secure fasteners during installation, significantly improving installation speed and ease
2Adaptability or versatility
If sway brace fittings are designed to accommodate specific pipe sizes, then the fitting can be properly sized, but the fitting cannot accommodate multiple sizes of sway brace pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe clamp portion is designed with movable or adjustable elements that allow it to adapt to different pipe diameters. This dynamic design enables the same fitting to securely accommodate multiple pipe sizes without requiring multiple different fitting designs, thereby improving versatility while maintaining manageable complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The fitting is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple pipe sizes through its adjustable clamp mechanism. This multi-functionality allows a single fitting design to serve multiple purposes across different pipe diameters, improving adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A brace clamp includes a first jaw; a second jaw pivotably coupled to the first jaw, wherein a clamp channel is defined between the first jaw and the second jaw, the clamp channel configured to receive a sway brace pipe therethrough; and a clamp fastener coupled to the first jaw; w the brace clamp is configurable in a disengaged configuration and an engaged configuration; and wherein, in the disengaged configuration, the first jaw is pivoted away from the second jaw and the clamp fastener is disengaged from the second jaw, and in the engaged configuration, the first jaw is pivoted towards the second jaw and the clamp fastener is engaged with the second jaw.