Positioning device for a spring clamp

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a spring clamp, having a clamp band and a positioning device for pre-positioning the spring clamp on a hose end of a hose. The positioning device having a support band and a contact region, and the support band having. The positioner having a fixing means arranged at the end of the support band, and the support band having a retainer at another end of the support band. A web is formed in the support band between the contact region and the positioner. The support band has at least two regions in the region of the positioner, the first region extending from the web away from the clamp band and the second region extending substantially perpendicularly from the first region.

Claims

1. A spring clamp comprising a clamp band and a positioning device pre-positioning the spring clamp on a hose end of a hose, wherein the positioning device comprises a support band, a contact region of which rests against an outer side of the clamp band, and the support band has on one side, in an axial direction (A) with respect to the spring clamp, a positioner having a fixing means arranged at the end of the support band and has at another end of the support band a retainer, wherein a web is formed in the support band between the contact region and the positioner, which web is oriented inwardly in a radial direction (R), with respect to the spring clamp, and the support band has in the region of the positioner at least two regions, wherein the first region adjoins the web in the axial direction (A) away from the clamp band and the second region adjoins the first region substantially perpendicularly, wherein at least one notch is provided in the region of the web, wherein as a result of the notch a clamping tab can be bent from the support band in the direction towards the clamp band, wherein the clamping tab engages at least in part around the clamp band in a radial direction (R).

2. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support band has a smaller extent in a circumferential direction (U) of the spring clamp than in the axial direction (A).

3. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web, the positioner and the retainer lie axially outside the spring clamp.

4. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web rests laterally on the clamp band.

5. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact region has a bend in a circumferential direction (U) of the spring clamp.

6. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioner has a third region which has a shorter extent along the support band than does the first region of the positioner.

7. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the third region of the positioner encloses on an inner side of the support band an obtuse or right angle with the second region of the positioner.

8. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 7, wherein the third region of the positioner can be bent around a hose end of a hose, and the second region of the positioner thereby rests in the axial direction (A) on the hose end of the hose.

9. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retainer engages at least in part around the clamp band of the spring clamp in a radial direction (R), with respect to the spring clamp.

10. The spring clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retainer has at least one retaining tab which is in the form of a shaping of the support band.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further features, details and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the wording of the claims and also from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a spring clamp having a positioning device,

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view, in a schematic representation, of the positioning device,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a side view of the positioning device, and

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a section in the axial direction along the plane S-S′ through the positioning device,

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic, perspective detail representation of the fixing means of an alternative form of the positioning device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) All the elements described hereinbelow relate in each case to all the figures, wherein the reference signs for designating the elements are used consistently over all the figures. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an assembly of a spring clamp 1 having a clamp band 2 and a positioning device 3. FIGS. 2 to 4 show different views of the positioning device 3.

(8) The positioning device 3 has, in an axial direction A of the spring clamp 1, on one side of the spring clamp 1 a positioner 4 and on the other side a retainer 5. The positioning device 3 is arranged on an outer side 6 of the clamp band 2 of the spring clamp 1 and is formed of a support band 7. The positioning device 3 has a contact region 8 in the portion of the support band 7 that rests against the outer side 6 of the clamp band 2 of the spring clamp 1.

(9) The support band 7 extends in an axial direction A, with respect to the spring clamp 1. The support band 7 is described hereinbelow starting from one end along the axial direction A. At one end of the support band 7 there is arranged the retainer 5. The retainer 5 is followed by the contact region 8. The support band 7 further has, when seen in the axial direction A, a web 9. The web 9 is followed by the positioner 4, which extends to the end of the support band 7 that is opposite the retainer 5. The positioner 4 has a first region 10, which adjoins the web 9. Along the support band 7 there further follow, as part of the positioner 4, a second region 11 and a third region 12. A fixing means 13 is further located at the end of the positioner 4, and thus at the end of the support band 7, that is opposite the retainer 5.

(10) The contact region 8 has in a circumferential direction U of the spring clamp 1 a curvature which corresponds substantially to the curvature of the outer side 6 of the spring clamp 1 in the circumferential direction U. Moreover, the retainer 5 likewise has a curvature in the circumferential direction U which corresponds to the curvature of the contact region 8. The web 9 likewise has, on the side at which the web 9 adjoins the contact region 8, the curvature of the contact region 8. The web 9 does not have a curvature on the side at which the web 9 adjoins the positioner 4. The positioner 4 does not have a curvature in the circumferential direction U of the spring clamp 1.

(11) The positioning device 3 has a web 9 on the side of the clamp band 2 of the spring clamp 1 that is opposite the retainer 5, between the contact region 8 and the positioner 4. The web 9 extends inwards in a radial direction R, with respect to the spring clamp 1, from the contact region 8 of the positioning device 3. The contact region 8 and the web 9 thereby enclose an obtuse angle or a right angle on their radially inner sides. The web 9 is located outside the spring clamp 1 in the axial direction A. In the radial direction R, the web 9 extends inwards, with respect to the spring clamp 1.

(12) The positioning device 3 further has a first region 10 which directly adjoins the web 9. The first region 10 is oriented substantially parallel to the contact region 8 and lies outside the spring clamp 1 in the axial direction A. The first region 10 thus lies, when seen in a radial direction R, with respect to the spring clamp 1, further inwards than the contact region 8 of the positioning device 3.

(13) The first region 10 of the positioner 4 is followed by a second region 11 of the positioner 4, which is substantially perpendicular to the first region 10. The second region 11 extends inwards in the radial direction R with respect to the spring clamp.

(14) The second region 11 of the positioner 4 is followed by a third region 12 of the positioner 4. The second region 11 and the third region 12 of the positioner 4 enclose an obtuse angle or a right angle on their side facing the spring clamp 1. The third region 12 of the positioner 4 is arranged outside the spring clamp 1, with respect to the axial direction A of the spring clamp 1. In addition, the third region 12 of the positioner 4 has a shorter extent along the support band 7 than does the first region 10 of the positioner 4.

(15) The third region 12 of the positioner 4 is followed by a fixing means 13, as part of the positioner. The fixing means 13 has at least one tip 14. The fixing means 13 is substantially perpendicular to the third region 12 of the positioner 4. The fixing means 13 is located, with respect to the spring clamp 1, outside the spring clamp 1 in the axial direction A and, when seen in an axial direction A, at the end of the support band 7 that is opposite the retainer 5.

(16) In the radial direction R with respect to the spring clamp 1, the web 9 extends from the contact region 8 so far inwards that the inner side 16 of the clamp band 2 of the spring clamp 1 and the radially inwardly facing side of the support band 7 are approximately at the same height in the first region 10 of the positioner 4.

(17) The extent of the second region 11 of the positioner 4 inwards corresponds, likewise with respect to the radial direction R of the spring clamp 1, approximately to the wall thickness of the lateral surface of the hose in the region of the hose end.

(18) The third region 12 of the positioner 4 can be bent outwards in the radial direction R about its contact line with the second region 11, so that the third region 12 of the positioner 4 and the first region 10 of the positioner 4 can be brought into a position relative to one another in which the first region 10 of the positioner 4 and the third region 12 of the positioner 4 are parallel to one another. The at least one tip 14 of the fixing means 13 of the positioner 4 extends over a length which is smaller than or equal to the extent of the second region 11 of the positioner 4 along the support band 7.

(19) The at least one tip 14 is in such a form that, by bending the third part 12 of the positioner 4 in the radial direction R, outwards as seen with respect to the spring clamp 1, it can be introduced into a wall of a hose. In the case of a tip 14 introduced into a hose wall, the angle enclosed between the inner sides of the second region 11 and of the third region 12 is a right angle.

(20) The fixing means 13 has two tips 14, each of which has an acute angle at the end of the support band 7 opposite the retainer 5. Perpendicular to the axial direction A, the support band 7 has a radius between the tips 14 of the fixing means 13. The angle enclosed between the fixing means 13 and the third region 12 is an acute angle or a right angle.

(21) The sum of the angle that is enclosed between the second region 11 and the third region 12 and the angle that is enclosed between the third region 12 and the fixing means 13 is 180°.

(22) The second region 11 of the positioner 4 can thereby be so arranged with the hose that the second region 11 rests axially on a hose end in the region of the hose wall. The extent of the second region 11 corresponds to the wall thickness of the hose.

(23) The retainer 5 has at least one, in particular two retaining tab(s) 15. Each retaining tab 15 can be arranged, when seen in the circumferential direction U of the spring clamp 1, in the outer region of the support band 7 and can directly adjoin the contact region 8 of the positioning device 3.

(24) Each retaining tab 15 is substantially perpendicular to the contact region 8 of the positioning device 3 extends the radial direction R on the clamp band 2 of the spring clamp 1. Each retaining tab engages around the clamp band 2 of the spring clamp.

(25) The web 9 has a partial notch 17 which extends from the contact region in an inverted U shape. The clamping tab 18 freed by the notch 17 is inclined in the axial direction A from the web 9 of the positioner 4 towards the clamp band 2. The clamping tab 18 rests on the clamp band and extends in the radial direction. The clamping tab 18 engages around the clamp band and reaches onto the inner side of the clamp band of the spring clamp. The notch 17 is in the form of a punched-out region in the web 9.

(26) The support band 7 comprises all the regions of the positioning device 3, namely the retainer 5, the contact region 8 and the positioner 4. The positioning device 3 can be produced integrally and from a metal strip, which forms the support band 7, by stamping and shaping.

(27) In an alternative form according to FIG. 5, the fixing means 13 is attached laterally to the third region 12 in the circumferential direction U. A tip 14, which is arranged substantially perpendicular to the third region 12, is hereby located in the circumferential direction U on each side. The tips 14 are here in the form of tabs. Alternatively, the tips 14 have an acute angle in a portion opposite the third region 12 (not shown).

(28) The invention is not limited to one of the embodiments described above but can be modified in many different ways. For example, the positioning device can also be in the form of a clip which can be combined with different spring clamps.

(29) All the features and advantages, including structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps, which follow from the claims, the description and the drawing can be fundamental to the invention both on their own and in different combinations. It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

(30) As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(31) 1 spring clamp 2 clamp band 3 positioning device 4 positioner 5 retainer 6 outer side of the clamp band 7 support band 8 contact region 9 web 10 first region of the positioner 11 second region of the positioner 12 third region of the positioner 13 fixing means 14 tip 15 retaining tab 16 inner side of the clamp band 17 notch 18 clamping tab A axial direction R radial direction U circumferential direction