Bracket for securing pipes

A bracket for supporting bent tubing, comprising:

• an inner wall defining a first radius of curvature selected to avoid unacceptable kinking of the tubing when the tubing is placed in the bracket, the inner wall having a first end and an opposing second end;
• an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall with at least a portion of the adjacent the first end and the second end, the outer wall being spaced apart from the inner wall a distance sufficient to accommodate the tubing during use of the bracket, the inner wall and the outer wall being connected to maintain the walls in a predefined location relative to each other but forming an elongated slot extending at least a substantial length of the inner wall, the slot being wide enough to allow insertion of the tubing through the slot during use of the bracket;
• and
• a flange connected to at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall and extending outward therefrom, the flange having a peripheral portion adapted to fit into and engage edges of an opening in a plumbing strap during use of the strap to restrain movement of the flange in a plane that contains the opening in the plumbing strap during use of the bracket.

A method for supporting flexible tubing in a curved orientation using a bracket having an inner wall defining a radius of curvature suitable for the tubing, the bracket having a flange on a first end of the inner wall and extending outward, comprising the steps of:

• inserting the bracket into an opening in a plumbing strap to engage a periphery of the flange with an inner edge of the strap defining the opening into which the bracket is inserted in order to restrain movement of the flange in a plane of the strap at the opening, the flange having a portion of its periphery defining a groove sized to receive the strap with the inserting step placing the strap into the groove to restrain movement of the flange perpendicular to the strap, the bracket having a resilient latch with a distal end of the latch extending toward the flange so the latch resiliently moves to pass through the opening in the strap and be placed adjacent an opposing side of the strap to further restrain movement of the bracket perpendicular to the strap, the bracket having an elongated slot extending at least from the flange to a second end of the bracket;
• and
• inserting a distal end of the tubing through an opening in the flange and inserting the tubing into the slot with the inner and outer walls causing the tubing to follow to the shape of the inner wall without kinking, the tube being inserted before or after the bracket is inserted into the plumbing strap.

A bracket for holding flexible tubing in a bent configuration, the tubing having an outer diameter, comprising:

• an inner wall defining a first radius of curvature along an axis of predetermined length and having a first end and an opposing second end;
• an outer wall defining a second radius of curvature in the same plane as the first radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature by at least the outer diameter of the tubing to be located in the bracket during use of the bracket, at least a portion of the outer wall being located adjacent to at least the first end and the second end of the inner wall to engage sides of the tubing during use of the bracket and to cause the tubing to bend at an angle defined by one of the first and second radii during use of the bracket, the inner wall and the outer wall being connected but providing a slot along at least a substantial length of the inner wall, the slot being sufficiently large to allow the tubing to be inserted through the slot during use of the bracket;
• a lateral restraint connected to the bracket and extending at least partially across the slot to maintain the tubing in the bracket during use of the bracket;
• and
• at least one spacer extending along an axis that is orthogonal to the first radius of curvature, the spacers being of predetermined length and having ends configured to abut similarly shaped ends to allow adjacent brackets to be stacked with the spacers of each abutting, the length of the spacers being selected to maintain the center lines of tubing held by the adjacent brackets to be at a predetermined distance.

A bracket for holding flexible tubing in a bent configuration, the tubing having an outer diameter, comprising:

• an inner wall defining a first radius of curvature along an axis of predetermined length and having a first end and an opposing second end;
• an outer wall defining a second radius of curvature in the same plane as the first radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature by at least the outer diameter of the tubing to be located in the bracket during use of the bracket, at least a portion of the outer wall being located adjacent to at least the first end and the second end of the inner wall to engage sides of the tubing during use of the bracket and to cause the tubing to bend at an angle defined by one of the first and second radii during use of the bracket, the inner wall and the outer wall being connected but providing a slot along at least a substantial length of the inner wall, the slot being sufficiently large to allow the tubing to be inserted through the slot during use of the bracket;
• a lateral restraint connected to the bracket and extending at least partially across the slot to maintain the tubing in the bracket during use of the bracket;
• and
• wherein the bracket has at least two holes there through along an axis orthogonal to a plane containing the first radius of curvature, the holes are each sized to allow passage of a fastener to fasten the bracket to a structural support, the holes *are each sized relative to the fastener to substantially restrict rotation in the plane when the fastener fastens the bracket to the support.

A bracket for holding flexible tubing in a bent configuration, the tubing having an outer diameter, comprising:

• an inner wall defining a first radius of curvature along an axis of predetermined length and having a first end and an opposing second end;
• an outer wall defining a second radius of curvature in the same plane as the first radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature by at least the outer diameter of the tubing to be located in the bracket during use of the bracket, at least a portion of the outer wall being located adjacent to at least the first end and the second end of the inner wall to engage sides of the tubing during use of the bracket and to cause the tubing to bend at an angle defined by one of the first and second radii during use of the bracket, the inner wall and the outer wall being connected but providing a slot along at least a substantial length of the inner wall, the slot being sufficiently large to allow the tubing to be inserted through the slot during use of the bracket;
• a lateral restraint connected to the bracket and extending at least partially across the slot to maintain the tubing in the bracket during use of the bracket;
• and
• a flange adjacent the first end of the inner wall and connected to the inner wall and the outer wall, the flange having at least one peripheral portion configured to engage edges of a opening in a plumbing strap during use of the bracket to resist movement of the flange and the bracket in a plane of the strap at the opening into which the flange is inserted during use of the bracket.
• 44.The bracket of claim 43, further comprising a resilient latch connected to the bracket adjacent the flange that bends to allow resilient passage through the opening in the strap during use of the bracket and then expands into a position to engage the strap during use of the bracket and prevent passage of the bracket back through the opening.

A method of restraining tubing using a bracket for holding flexible tubing in a bent configuration, the tubing having an outer diameter, the bracket comprising:

• an inner wall defining a first radius of curvature along an axis of predetermined length and having a first end and an opposing second end;
• an outer wall defining a second radius of curvature in the same plane as the first radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature by at least the outer diameter of the tubing to be located in the bracket during use of the bracket, at least a portion of the outer wall being located adjacent to at least the first end and the second end of the inner wall to engage sides of the tubing during use of the bracket and to cause the tubing to bend at an angle defined by one of the first and second radii during use of the bracket, the inner wall and the outer wall being connected but providing a slot along at least a substantial length of the inner wall, the slot being sufficiently large to allow the tubing to be inserted through the slot during use of the bracket;
• and
• a lateral restraint connected to the bracket and extending at least partially across the slot to maintain the tubing in the bracket during use of the bracket;
• the method comprising the steps of inserting the tubing into the bracket through the slot and fastening the bracket to a support structure, and wherein the bracket further includes at least two holes orthogonal to the radius of curvature, and wherein the fastening step comprises the further steps of placing a separate fastener through each of the holes and into a structural support to fasten the bracket to the support.