CONDUIT HOLDER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conduit holder. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a conduit holder for holding conduits to be set into concrete slabs during pouring.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Often slabs of settable material such as concrete are constructed as foundation slabs or inter-floor slabs for multi-story buildings. Settable material is poured into position using formwork elements or the ground to keep it in position until it sets. During the pouring of such settable material, movement of the concrete may cause movement of conduits, such as electrical or fluid conduits, that are to be set into the slabs. Further, use of vibrating apparatuses that stimulate the movement of settable material during pouring can also cause movement of conduits.

[0003] Frequently, conduits are required to be set at an acute angle to a horizontal direction, for example where drainage conduits are required to have a run-off gradient. Typical gradient requirements are set at between 1 and 5 degrees to the horizontal and preferably at about 3.5 degrees to the horizontal. The height of the conduit above formwork for the slab varies along the length of the conduit.

[0004] The present invention seeks to provide a junction box holder, which will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative.

[0005] It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. SUMMARY

[0006] In one aspect there is provided a conduit holder suitable for holding a conduit being set into a slab of settable material during pouring of the settable material, the conduit holder including a base; a holding frame extending from the base, the holding frame including at least one or more supports for supporting a conduit in operation, wherein the supports are configured to support the conduit at an angle to the horizontal direction.

Preferably the supports are configured to support a conduit of an angle of between 1° and 5° to the horizontal. More preferably the sports are configured to support a conduit at an angle of about 3.5° to the horizontal. Preferably the supports define at least one or more arcs or arctuate faces for complementary abutment against a conduit to support it.

[0007] Preferably the holding frame includes a plurality of legs. Preferably the legs extends outwardly from the base to a hollow frusto-conically shaped supporting head.

[0008] In one embodiment, the base is configured for being secured to formwork in operation. The base may include mounting formations for mounting the base to formwork. Preferably the mounting formations are apertures. Preferably, the conduit holder further includes supporting feet extending from the base and configured for supporting the base off of a floor or formwork element.

[0009] In another embodiment, the supports are shaped and dimensioned to complement the shape of the conduit that they are supporting. The supports may be substantially ellipsoid in shape. In another embodiment, the supports are frangible and include zones of weakness, whereby supports can be removed to allow the remaining supports to support conduits at varying predetermined angles. The zones of weakness on the supports may be one or more selected from perforations, notches and channels.

[0010] In one embodiment, the conduit holder is configured to be at least partially nestable with similar conduit holders. Advantageously, the conduit holder may includes spacing formations configured for spacing adjacent nested conduit holders by a predetermined spacing distance. The spacing formations may be frangible. The spacing formations may include zones of weakness, whereby the spacing formations may be broken along the zones of weakness to thereby reconfigure the predetermined spacing distance. The zones of weakness on the spacing formations may be one or more selected from perforations and channels.

[0011] In another embodiment, fixing formations may be provided for use with suitable elongate flexible members such as cable ties, to allow the conduits to be fastened to the conduit holder. Preferably the fixing formations extend downwardly from the supporting head.

[0012] Preferably each mounting formation is at least partially surrounded by at least one strengthening flange or rib. Preferably the strengthening flange or rib is annular. In a preferred embodiment, the strengthening flange or rib is connected to the spacing formations by a strengthening formation. Preferably the strengthening formation includes a connecting flange or rib.

[0013] This invention may also be said broadly to include the parts, elements, and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

[0014] To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

[0015] By providing a conduit holder that is configured or reconfigurable to hold a conduit at an acute angle to a horizontal direction, and allowing for conduit holders to be nested and stacked above one another, a conduit extending at an angle to the horizontal can be supported in position along its length at different heights. Further, by providing for the conduit holders to be secured to form work or ground, the conduits can be held more rigidly in position during pouring of settable material.

[0016] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] Figure 1 shows a side view of a conduit holder holding a conduit at an acute angle to a horizontal direction;

[0019] Figure 2 shows a side view of the conduit holder of figure 1 holding the conduit horizontally;

[0020] Figure 3 shows a top front perspective view of the conduit holder of figure 1 ;

[0021] Figure 4 shows a top front perspective view of a pair of nested conduit holders of figure 1 holding a conduit;

[0022] Figure 5 shows a front view of the conduit holder of figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 6 shows a bottom front perspective view of the conduit holder of figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 7 shows a top left perspective view of the conduit holder of figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 8 shows a right side cross sectional view of the conduit holder of figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 9 shows a front view of a pair of nested conduits of figure 1 , holding a conduit; [0027] Figure 10 shows a side cutaway view of a second embodiment of a conduit holder showing a support slidably engaged in sliding formations, with broken lines indicating the extents of the conduit holder;

[0028] Figure 11 shows a top perspective close up cutaway assembly view of a third embodiment of a conduit holder showing a support that is locatable on notch formations;

[0029] Figure 12 shows a front top perspective view of a fourth

embodiment of a conduit holder;

[0030] Figure 13 shows a front view of the conduit holder of figure 12;

[0031] Figure 14 shows a front bottom perspective view of the conduit holder of figure 12;

[0032] Figure 15 shows a top left perspective view of the conduit holder of figure 12;

[0033] Figure 16 shows a bottom view of the conduit holder of figure 12;

[0034] Figure 17 shows a top view of the conduit holder of figure 12; and

[0035] Figure 18 shows a cutaway cross sectional view of cross-section B-

B in figure 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] It should be noted in the following description that like or the same reference numerals in different embodiments denote the same or similar features.

[0037] In one aspect, and with reference to the figures, a conduit holder 100 is provided. The conduit holder 100 is suitable for holding a conduit 1000, that is being set into a slab of settable material such as concrete, in position during the pouring of the settable material. [0038] Referring to figures 1 and 2, the conduit holder 100 includes a base 110 in the form of an annular flange 112, and a holding frame 120. As will be described in more detail below, the base 110 is configured for being securely attached to formwork, such as wooden panels, to thereby hold the conduit holder 100 in place during pouring of settable material.

[0039] The holding frame 120 preferably includes a holding frame 130.

The holding frame 130 includes four legs 132 extending to a hollow frusto- conically shaped supporting head 134. The legs 132 extend at a tapered angle towards each other in the same plane as the supporting head 134, so that the holding frame 130 is generally frusto-conically shaped.

[0040] In alternative embodiments (not shown), any number of legs can be provided. Further, the holding frame need not be frusto-conically shaped, and could instead have a tapered shape, such as a tetrahedral shape, or preferably any other shape that allows for nesting with similar conduit holders.

[0041] The holding frame 120 includes three supports 124 that are located on the supporting head 134. The supports 124 are configured to extend substantially transversely to the length of the conduit 1000 that they support in operation. In alternative embodiments, it is envisaged that two, or more than three supports 124 can be provided.

[0042] In the embodiments shown in the figures, the three supports 124 are configured as one elevated support 124a, and a pair of subordinate supports 124b, at a lower level than the elevated support 124a, with one subordinate support 124b located to either side of the elevated support 124a. The elevated support 124a is configured to extend further from the base 110 than the subordinate supports 124b by a distance d as shown in figure 5. This configuration allows a conduit to be supported on two of the supports 124 at an acute angle relative to a horizontal direction from two sides of the conduit holder 100.

[0043] It is envisaged that in alternative embodiments (not shown), supports 124 could be provided in a configuration to support a conduit 1000 extending upwardly from three, four or more sides of the conduit holder 100. [0044] Each of the supports 124 are preferably shaped to complement the shape of the conduit that they are supporting, although this need not necessarily be the case. In the embodiments shown, each of the supports 124 are configured as an ellipsoid shape to complement the shape of a cylindrical conduit 1000.

[0045] The base 110 includes four supporting feet 114 that extends downwardly from the base in operation to support the base 110 above the formwork. Each of the four supporting feet 114 are preferably cylindrical and include mounting formations in the form of apertures 116 (as shown in figure 7) extending longitudinally through them. The apertures 116 allow for fasteners (not shown) to be inserted through them into formwork in operation, thereby securing the base 110 to the formwork to keep the conduit holder 100 in position during pouring of settable material. Where the conduit holder is being used for the pouring of an inter floor slab, feet 114 also serve to raise the annular flange 112 off of the formwork during pouring of the settable material, to reduce the visibility of the conduit holder 100 from below when the formwork is removed.

[0046] As may be seen from figures 1 and 9, each conduit holder 100 is configured to be at least partially nestable with similar conduit holders. The frusto-conically tapered shape of the supporting head 134 and the legs 132 allows for the nesting of conduit holders 100 with similar conduit holders 100.

[0047] Each conduit holder 100 includes spacing formations 140 extending partially along each leg 132. Each spacing formation is configured for spacing a lower surface of the annular flange 112 of adjacent nested conduit holders 100 by a predetermined spacing distance D (as shown in figure 9) from an upper surface of the annular flange 112 of the base 110.

[0048] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the spacing formations include zones of weakness 142. The zones of weakness 142 are preferably in the form of channels and/or perforations that allow frangible portions of the spacing formations to be conveniently broken off along the zones of weakness 142. In this way, the predetermined spacing distance that the spacing formations 140 create between adjacent nested conduit holders 100 can be varied.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the conduit holder 100 is composed of a plastics material. Preferably the conduit holder 100 is moulded in a moulding process, such as a rotary moulding, injection moulding or blow moulding process, as a single piece. However, in alternative embodiments, it is envisaged that the conduit holder 100 can be composed of alternative materials such as wood, metal, fibreglass, cardboard, carbon fibre or the like.

[0050] As shown in figure 3, the supports 124 are also provided with zones of weakness 126, preferably in the form of perforations and/or channels in the supports, that are frangible and allow supports to be broken off, to thereby support a conduit at a variety of predetermined angles. As an example, the elevated support 124a can be broken off so that the subordinate supports 124b can hold a conduit 1000 horizontally.

[0051] In an alternative embodiment (shown in figure 10), a conduit holder 200 is provided with supports 224 that are slidably mounted to the supporting head 234 in recesses 238 to move between a range of different heights from the base. The supports can include legs 225 that are configured to be received snugly into recesses 238 by a friction fit. Alternately a lower surface 239 of the recesses can, for example, be arranged in steps that allow for different heights to be selected. Both elevated supports and/or subordinate supports can be provided having such a configuration.

[0052] In an alternative embodiment (shown in figure 11), a conduit holder 300 is provided with supports 324 that are removably supported on notch formations 336. For example, notch formations 336 may be provided on opposed sides of the head 334, on which the supports 324 may be mounted. Such notch formations can be provided at a variety of different heights.

[0053] In alternative embodiments (not shown), subordinate supports 124b can be broken off to support a conduit 1000 at a variety of acute angles to a horizontal direction. [0054] The embodiment of a conduit holder 400 shown in figures 12- 18 includes a base 410 and a holding arrangement 420. The holding

arrangement 420 includes supports 424 and a holding frame 430. The holding frame includes four legs 432 that extends from base 410.

[0055] The holding frame 430 includes fixing formations in the form of tabs 436 extending downwardly from the supporting head 434. The tabs 436 are for use with suitable elongate flexible members such as cable ties (not shown), to allow a conduit 1000 to be fastened to the conduit holder 400.

[0056] Similarly to the first embodiment, the base 410 is provided with mounting formations in the form of bores 416 for mounting the base to formwork or the ground. Typically, nails (not shown) would be hammered through the bores 416 into the formwork below to securely mount the conduit holder to the formwork to prevent it from being moved when the settable material is being poured. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), it is envisaged that the conduit holder could be provided with nails pre-installed, for example by being integrally moulded into the base. This would also facilitate the quicker installation of the conduit holder.

[0057] Also similarly to the first embodiment, the conduit holder 400 is provided with spacing formations 440, which may also have zones of engineered weakness (not shown).

[0058] However, the conduit holder 400 shown in figures 12-28 is also provided with bracing formations 450 for bracing the base 410 to prevent it from bending and being pulled free of the bottom of the settable material when the formwork is being removed. This may occur when the friction between the installed nails and the formwork of fastener needs to be overcome.

[0059] The bracing formations 450 include a preferably annular strengthening rib 452 that extends around each bore 416. Further, a strengthening formation in the form of a flange or rib 454 is provided that extends between the annular strengthening rib 452 and the spacing formations 440. In this way, when the formwork is pulled downwardly, pulling the nails downwardly, this force will be transferred to the legs 432, helping to brace the nails and base to prevent it from being pulled out of the lower surface of the settable material.

[0060] The appended claims are to be considered as incorporated into the above description.

[0061] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

DEFINITIONS

[0062] Throughout the specification, including the claims, where the context permits, the term“comprising” and variants thereof such as“comprise” or“comprises” are to be interpreted as including the stated integer or integers without necessarily excluding any other integers.

[0063] It is to be understood that the terminology employed above is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The described embodiments are intended to be illustrative of the invention, without limiting the scope thereof. The invention is capable of being practiced with various modifications and additions as will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

[0064] Words indicating direction or orientation, such as“front”,“rear”, “back”, etc, are used for convenience. The inventor(s) envisages that various embodiments can be used in a non-operative configuration, such as when presented for sale. Thus, such words are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

[0065] It will be appreciated that any reference herein to“preferred” or “preferably” is intended as exemplary only. [0066] For the purposes of this specification, the term “plastic” shall be construed to mean a general term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products, and generally including a hydrocarbon-based polymer.

Markush Groups

[1] In addition, where features or aspects of the invention are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognise that the invention is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

Chronological sequence

[2] For the purpose of this specification, where method steps are described in sequence, the sequence does not necessarily mean that the steps are to be carried out in chronological order in that sequence, unless there is no other logical manner of interpreting the sequence.

Embodiments:

[3] Reference throughout this specification to“one embodiment” or“an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment” or“in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

[4] Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of example embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[5] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Different Instances of Objects

[0067] As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives“first”,“second”,“third”, etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

Specific Details

[0068] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Terminology

[0069] In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as "forward", "rearward", "radially", "peripherally", "upwardly", "downwardly", and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as limiting terms. [0070] For the purposes of this specification, the term“plastic” shall be construed to mean a general term for a wide range of synthetic or

semisynthetic polymerization products, and generally consisting of a hydrocarbon-based polymer.

[0071] As used herein the term“and/or” means“and” or“or”, or both.

[0072] As used herein“(s)” following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun.

Comprising and Including

[0073] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word“comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or“comprising” are used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

[0074] Any one of the terms: including or which includes or that includes as used herein is also an open term that also means including at least the elements/features that follow the term, but not excluding others. Thus, including is synonymous with and means comprising.

Scope of Invention

[0075] Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. For example, any formulas given above are merely representative of procedures that may be used. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

Industrial Applicability

[0076] It is apparent from the above, that the arrangements described are applicable to the construction industries.