This disclosure addresses clamp assemblies and more particularly clamp assemblies which secure wire bundles to a structure.
In the fabrication of many industrial items and assemblies, electrical wiring of that item or assembly is an essential part of the completion of the fabrication of that item or assembly. The wiring in many instances provides needed communications and/or control signal transmissions to different locations with respect to the item or assembly so as to facilitate the proper operation of the completed fabricated item or assembly. One example of such a fabricated assembly which requires wiring for transmitting communications and control signals is an aircraft. Securement of the wiring to the aircraft and routing of the wiring through the aircraft is essential to the fabrication and maintenance of the aircraft.
Clamps are employed to capture bundles of wires for the purpose of securing the bundles to the aircraft and facilitate routing the wires through the aircraft to needed locations within the aircraft. Securement of bundles of wires to the aircraft is a time consuming and costly and provides ergonomic challenges to the installers.
Currently installers often spend long periods of time in awkward physical positions to accomplish the needed wiring securement to the aircraft structure. At times, these installation circumstances are even more demanding with the installation occurring in confined spaces within the aircraft. Current installment includes use of a single piece clamp which has opposing ends wherein each opposing end has an aperture. After installing a wire bundle within the single piece clamp, the apertures are aligned, a fastener is be positioned through the aligned apertures and the fastener is fastened to the structure accomplishing both securement of the clamp to the aircraft structure and clamping shut the clamp thereby securing confinement of the wire bundle positioned within the clamp.
Installing current clamps includes initially temporarily installing the clamp to a structure or sub-assembly of the aircraft to establish desired routing positions for the wiring. Typically, at a later time of the fabrication of the aircraft, final installation of wire bundles takes place. The installer uninstalls the temporarily installed clamp, installs the wire bundle within the clamp and thereafter lines up the apertures, as mentioned above and inserts a fastener through the openings. The fastener is installed to the aircraft structure with a tool securing the bundle to structure or subassembly and at the same time clamping shut the clamp assembly securing the wire bundle within the clamp assembly. This procedure is time consuming and introduces further difficulties in that the installer must confine the wires within the clamp and line up the apertures of the opposing ends of the clamp assembly for inserting the fastener there through. Once the fastener is inserted through the apertures, the installer with a tool such as a screw driver, fastens the clamp assembly to the structure securing shut the clamp assembly and capturing the wires within the clamp assembly. These steps taken by the installer using this clamp assembly can position the installer at a location within the aircraft securing a particular clamp assembly for an extended period of time. This installation can be further impacted with the securement of the clamp assembly and bundled wires occurring within a confined location within the aircraft. With the installer being positioned installing a wire bundle at a particular location within the aircraft for extended period, the installation of the wire bundle can present an ergonomic challenge. There is a need to have a clamp assembly which makes the installation of a wire bundle quick, simple and easy.
Other clamp assemblies have an enclosing clamp or strap portion hinged to a clamp body of the clamp assembly. The clamp body can be secured to the aircraft structure at a desired location within the aircraft which will be the location of the clamp assembly for the assembled completed aircraft. The clamp or strap portion is positioned hinged to a body of the clamp assembly in an open unsecured position relative to the body of the clamp assembly. An end portion of the clamp or strap portion of the clamp assembly carries a zip-tie configuration to secure the clamp or strap portion closed to the body of the clamp assembly. The body of the clamp assembly carries a compatible zip-tie configuration to secure to the zip-tie configuration carried by the clamp or strap portion. Once wire bundles are extended through the aircraft, the installer can position a wire bundle into the clamp assembly and confine the wire bundle to the clamp assembly with closing the strap portion and securing the strap portion to the body of the clamp assembly with engaging the zip-tie portion of the strap portion to the corresponding zip-tie portion positioned on the body of the clamp assembly. In closing the strap portion and locking the strap portion to the body of the clamp assembly, the strap portion and the body can be pushed together engaging the zip-tie arrangement locking in the wire bundle within the clamp assembly. This positioning of the wire bundle into the clamp assembly and locking the wire bundle into the clamp assembly can be done by hand without a tool.
However, this clamp assembly configuration presents some undesired results. The zip-tie arrangement for engagement of the strap portion to the body of the clamp assembly can easily experience the installer easily positioning the clamp or strap portion into an over pressured positioned against the bundle wires being secured in making the zip-tie engagement between the strap portion and the body of the clamp assembly. This over pressured engagement can impart damage and unnecessary wear to the bundled wires being secured.
Moreover, this clamp assembly configuration promotes movement of the centerline of the opening, in which the bundle of wires are carried within the clamp assembly. An over pressure engagement of the zip-tie arrangement can result in the center of the opening moving from in many cases is a center of a circular opening such that the ending position of the center results in the opening shape being more of an oval shape. During installation the installer can easily exert more than needed force to the strap portion in making the zip-tie engagement with the zip-tie receiving configuration of the body of the clamp assembly thereby moving centerline of the opening of the clamp assembly. The change in shape of the opening which carries the wire bundle also changes the relationship of the spacing of the wires within the wire bundle and the spacing of the wires captivated in the clamp in relationship to the structure to which the clamp assembly is secured. This change of the centerline of the opening and resulting shape of the wire bundle being carried by the clamp assembly is a concern with respect to placing the installation of the wiring for the aircraft in noncompliance with respect to codes pertaining to aircraft wiring of the Federal Aviation Administration. As a result, there is a need to provide a clamping assembly which will more easily sustain a centerline position of the opening of the clamp assembly carrying the wire bundle in carrying out the securement of the clamp or strap portion of the clamp assembly to the body portion of the clamp assembly.
An example includes a clamp assembly for securing wire bundles to a structure which includes a body which includes a first portion having a first side for positioning the body onto the structure and a second portion having a second side which extends in a curvilinear direction wherein the second portion extends between a first end and a second end. The assembly further includes one of a hinge pin or hinge flange associated with the first end of the second portion and a latch member connected to the body. The latch member extends in a direction away from the second end of the second portion with a termination edge positioned spaced apart from the second end of the second portion and the termination edge extends in a direction in angular relationship to the curvilinear direction of the second side. Clamp assembly further includes a strap member which includes the other of the one of the hinge pin or the hinge flange associated with the first end of the second portion for rotatably coupling the strap member to the body. Strap member also has an end portion which engages the latch member.
The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
As discussed earlier, there is a need for an ergonomically friendly clamp assembly for securing bundled wires to a structure. The clamp assembly needs to provide for a quick, easy and reliable installation of the bundled wires into the clamp assembly that has been secured to the structure. The clamp assembly needs to provide the installer with the ability, if needed, to hand install to quickly, easily and reliably hand install a bundle of wires into the clamp assembly secured at any location within, for example, an aircraft. The clamp assembly needs to provide the installer the ability to not be positioned at the installation location for any extended period of time. This is particularly important with respect to wire bundle installations in more confined areas and/or areas within an aircraft, for example, that otherwise can present ergonomic demands on the installer should the installer be positioned in that installation position for an extended period of time.
With respect to reliable securement of a wire bundle to a structure there is a need to provide a clamping assembly for securing a bundle of wires which will sustain a centerline position of the wire carrying portion of the clamping assembly upon securing the clamp portion or strap portion of the clamp assembly to the body portion of the clamp assembly at the time of capturing and enclosing the wire bundle. This ability to sustain a centerline and an opening shape through which the wire bundle extends through the clamp assembly provides for an installation of wires that are more likely to comply with the wiring standards and regulations set forth for spacing of the wires secured to the structure.
The clamp assembly of the present disclosure provides an ergonomic benefit wherein the installer can quickly and easily install a wire bundle into the clamp assembly without a need for a tool to insert and confine the wires within the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly provides significant cost savings with respect to time and labor associated with the installation. In addition, the present clamp assembly maintains the centerline of the wire carrying portion of the clamp assembly when a clamp portion or strap portion of the clamp assembly is secured to the body of the clamp assembly enclosing the bundle of wires. This maintenance of the centerline position provides optimization in meeting wiring requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration, for example, thereby reducing occurrences of a rework of wire bundle installations.
In referring to
It is desired to make a firm securement of wire bundles 20 so as to maintain wires 22 in a desired position within aircraft 10 and yet not have an overly tight securement of wire bundle 20 such that unnecessary wear or damage can be imparted to wires 22 within wire bundles 20. Making this proper accommodation of wire bundle 20 is achieved with properly scaling the size of clamp assembly 16 for a particular wire bundle 20 dimension and in some instances providing a cushion such as cushion collar assembly 24 as seen in
In referring to
Clamp assembly 16 further includes one of a hinge pin or hinge flange 42, as seen in
Latch member 48, as seen in
As seen in
This configuration of aperture 60, wherein aperture 60, as will be understood herein, is not utilized for enclosing wire bundles 20 within clamp assembly 16. Thus, clamp assembly 16 provides the installer an opportunity to easily secure clamp assembly 16 to structure 18 with use of aperture 60 at the time of laying out the routing for the later to be installed wire bundles 20. This reduces the time the installer needs spend at the location of clamp assembly 16 at the time of inserting and confining wire bundle 20 within clamp assembly 16. The installer does not need to undo a temporary installation of a clamp assembly when securement of a clamp assembly and enclosing the wire bundle within the clamp assembly are part of the same step of installation and refasten the clamp assembly to the structure. Clamp assembly 16 provides an easy, quick and unobstructed ability to make a first and final installation of clamp assembly 16 and not taking the extra steps mentioned above at the time of installing the wire bundles 20 into clamp assembly 16.
As will be discussed below, at the time of securing wire bundle 20 into clamp assembly 16, this can be accomplished by an installer by simply placing wire bundle 20 into clamp assembly 16 by hand and closing and locking clamp assembly 16 about wire bundle 20 also by hand thereby providing the installer a quick and easy installation of wire bundle into clamp assembly 16 without spending any extended time at each location of clamp assembly 16 and without the need for tools.
Clamp assembly 16, as mentioned earlier, includes cushion collar assembly 24, as seen in
Second side 34 of second portion 32 extends along curvilinear direction 36 and has radius 70, as seen in
In closing strap member 46, strap member 46 is rotated about the engagement of hinge flange 42 and hinge pin 44. Strap member 46 is secured to body 26 at a single location, whereat strap member 46 will be secured at termination edge 52 of latch member 48, which will be further discussed below. With securement of strap member 46 at the single location at termination edge 52 of latch member 48, strap member 46 maintains its shape with radius 76. As a result, first side 72 of strap member 46 and second side 34 of second portion 32 of body 26 form a circular configuration having a coincidental center 78. Position of center 78, being center of radius of radius 70, with strap member 46 in an open position as seen in
As discussed earlier, scaling of clamp assembly 16 is available to accommodate wire bundles 20 that have dimensional differences that would otherwise cause a strap member 46 to distort and change a position of center 78 when securing strap member 46 to the single position on body 26. In the instance where dimension change of wire bundle 20 is relatively small, where there are a few more or a few less wires 22 in wire bundle 20, cushion collar assembly 24 will provide for accommodating such minor dimension differences in wire bundle 20 as mentioned earlier. Cushion collar assembly 24 can provide for a few less wires 22 with providing confining securement with cushion collar assembly 24 occupying space that would otherwise have been occupied by a few additional more wires thereby maintaining securement of wires 22 from being too loose. In instances where there may be a few more wires 22 within wire bundle 20, cushion collar assembly 24 compresses and reduces the amount of space cushion collar assembly 24 occupies and prevents strap member 46 from distortion and at the same time protects wires 22 from excessive wear between clamp assembly 16 and wires 22. Without center 78 moving as a result of closure of clamp assembly 16, wires 22 will remain secure in position and spacing relative to one another and relative to their position with respect to structure 18.
In the example of clamp assembly 16 as seen in
As mentioned earlier, there is a singular location associated with body 26, aside from the rotational engagement set forth above, at which strap member 46 is secured to body 26 when strap member 46 is rotated closed enclosing wiring bundle 20. This single location of securing strap member 46 is at the location of termination edge 52 of latch member 48 as seen in
In this example as seen in
In closing strap member 46 to a locked position with body 26, as seen in
In referring to
While various embodiments have been described above, this disclosure is not intended to be limited thereto. Variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments that are still within the scope of the appended claims.