Clamp with hinges that have a limited opening angle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clamp having a hinge with a limited opening angle. The clamp includes a clamping band (10), a tensioning element (12) for tensioning the clamping band (10), and a hinge (14) located opposite the tensioning element (12). The hinge (14) pivotally connects the ends of two essentially semicircular halves (10a, 10b) of the clamping band (10). The hinge (14) has a trunnion (16) disposed in the axial direction of the clamp. It is proposed that the ends of the two essentially semicircular halves (10a, 10b) of the clamp are each formed with at least one flatband loop (14a-14c), and that the inner surfaces of the flatband loops (14a-14c) are located on the cylindrical outer surface (24g) of the trunnion (16).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a clamp having a clamping band, a tensioning element for applying tension to the clamping band, and a hinge.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] French Patent Application Publication No. 587221 discloses a band clamp having a tensioning element and a hinge. A trunnion or pin of the hinge engages with an axial hole of a tab protruding radially from the outer surface of the band. Therefore, the clamping force is transmitted through the narrow inner periphery of the hole in the tab. A similar hinge element is disclosed in Canadian Patent Application Publication No. 2705188.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

PATENT DOCUMENT 2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] Hinge elements such as those disclosed in French Patent Application Publication No. 587221 or Canadian Patent Application Publication No. 2705188 may deform when a large tensioning force is applied.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a hinged band clamp with improved tension transmission via the hinge. A further aspect of the present invention relates to means for facilitating the mounting of the clamp.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0006] The present invention proposes to solve the above problems by providing a clamp according to claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] The present invention relates to a clamping clamp comprising a clamping band, a tensioning element for applying tension to the clamping band, and a hinge located on the opposite side of the tensioning element, wherein the hinge pivotably connects the ends of two essentially semicircular halves of the clamping band, and the hinge has a trunnion positioned in the axial direction of the clamp.

[0008] We propose that the ends of the two essentially semicircular halves of the clamp are each formed to include at least one flat band loop, with the inner surface of the flat band loop resting on the cylindrical outer surface of the trunnion. Force transmission through the flat band loop is more reliable, and the hinge element is less prone to deformation than in the prior art, even under high tension.

[0009] As used herein, a band is a strip, and more particularly, a rolled sheet metal strip having an essentially rectangular profile, with a width greater than its thickness (in particular, an aspect ratio greater than 3, preferably greater than 5). A flat band loop may be a loop formed from the band by folding the wider side of the band over itself, i.e., a loop such that the shape of the band remains flat in the width direction, or in another embodiment, a loop formed from a separate band and welded or otherwise fixed to the body of the band.

[0010] The trunnion may be a solid, a hollow, tubular element, or integrally formed as part of one of the band half sections.

[0011] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the clamp has at least one section provided with an inlay having a substantially V-shaped cross-section configured to interact with flanges formed at the opposing ends of two pipes to be interconnected. The inlay can mitigate local pressure peaks caused by the hinge trunnion and the final trunnion of the tensioning element. Furthermore, the advantages of the present invention are fully demonstrated in this application because clamps with V-shaped inlays are often used in applications involving high tension. The inlay can be divided into multiple sections, in particular, into one section for each of the two halves of the band, preferably two sections for each half of the band, i.e., a total of four sections of the inlay having a V-shaped cross-section.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hinge has limiting means for restricting the pivot angle to less than 180°, more preferably to less than 120°, and even more preferably to 100° or less. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the limiting angle can be adjusted by adjusting one element of the hinge or by selecting a suitable trunnion, as will be described in more detail below.

[0013] Those skilled in the art will understand that the limiting means according to the present invention is not necessarily a hard stop. To prevent the movable half of the clamp from unintentionally hanging freely during the assembly process, a soft stop is sufficient, which may be released by applying a certain threshold force, the threshold force of which must be greater than the normal weight and acceleration force acting on the hinge during the normal assembly process.

[0014] It is further proposed that a limiting means is formed by at least one projection on the inner surface of a flat band loop that engages with a recess on the cylindrical outer surface of the trunnion, and the circumferential length of the recess is configured to limit the swivel angle. The projection can be easily formed by embossing the band, and the circumferential length is easily modifiable to set the swivel angle.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the flat band loops has a projection that engages with a corresponding recess on the cylindrical outer surface of the trunnion.

[0016] When the first half of the clamp's semicircular half has two flat band loops with a gap between them, and the second half of the clamp's semicircular half has at least one flat band loop that engages with the gap between the two flat band loops of the first semicircular half of the clamp, reliable and balanced force transmission can be achieved. This fork-type configuration of flat band trunnion hinge has demonstrated reliability in other hinge applications.

[0017] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the limiting means is formed by a web connecting two flat band loops of the first half of the semicircular half of the clamp, and the flat band loop of the second half of the semicircular half of the clamp contacts the web when the limit of the swivel angle is reached. Providing a web is a simple way to limit the opening angle.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the shape and / or position of the web are adjustable, thereby adjusting the limit value of the swivel angle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings below. [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a band clamp according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A shows a pivoting operation for closing a prior art hinged band clamp. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B shows the limited pivoting angle of the band clamp according to the present invention. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A shows a typical assembly scenario of a general hinged band clamp. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B shows the assembly scenario of Figure 3A when using the band clamp according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a detailed view of the hinge of the band clamp according to the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a detailed view of the trunnion of the band clamp according to Figure 1 and Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a movable web-equipped band clamp according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a fixed web-equipped band clamp according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge of the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the limiting angle of the hinge of the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a fixed web-equipped band clamp according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, having limiting means constituted by the rear edge of a gap, wherein the rear edge of the gap is positioned to abut at least one flat band loop (14c) of the second half portion (10b) of the semicircular half portions to form the limiting means. Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

[0020] Figure 1 shows a band clamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention, comprising a clamping band 10, a tensioning element 12 for applying tension to the clamping band 10, and a hinge 14 located on the opposite side from the tensioning element 12. The hinge 14 pivotably connects the ends of two essentially semicircular halves 10a and 10b of the clamping band 10, and the hinge 14 includes a trunnion 16 positioned in the axial direction of the clamp.

[0021] The tensioning element 12 is formed by two band loops 12a and 12b, which receive trunnions 12c and 12d, respectively, and the band loops 12a and 12b have slits for operation through tension screws that engage with female threads in holes in one of the trunnions 12c and 12d. In another embodiment of the present invention, other types of tensioning elements can be used, such as tensioning elements with worm screws or tension levers.

[0022] The clamp is formed as a V-clamp and has four sections, each provided with inlays 18a to 18d, which have roughly V-shaped cross-sections. The inlays are arranged radially inside the main outer clamping band 10. The V-shaped profiles of the inlays 18a to 18d are configured to interact with flanges formed at the opposing ends of two interconnected pipes 20 (Figures 3A and 3B). The inlays 18a to 18d are welded, soldered, or clinched to the clamping band 10, giving considerable rigidity to their semicircular sections 10a and 10b.

[0023] According to the present invention, the ends of the two essentially semicircular halves 10a, 10b of the clamping band 10 are formed to have one flat band loop 14c or two lateral flat band loops 14a, 14b, and the inner surfaces of the lateral flat band loops 14a, 14b are on the outer cylindrical surface of the trunnion 16. The first half 10a of the semicircular halves of the clamping band 10 has two flat band loops 14a, 14b with a gap between them, and the second half of the semicircular halves of the clamping band 10 10b The clamping band 10 has one flat band loop 14c that engages with the gap between the two flat band loops of the first semicircular half of the clamping band 10. This interlocking arrangement of band loops 14a to 14c ensures that the tension acts on the trunnion 16 symmetrically with respect to the circumferential centerline of the clamping band 10, so that the trunnion 16 does not tilt under tension.

[0024] Each of the band loops 12a, 12b, and 14a-14c is formed, as is generally known in the art, by punching a loop portion into the end of the band, folding the loop portion back onto the band, and clinching each end of the loop portion to the main part of the band. The bifurcated loop portions 14a and 14b at one end of the band are formed as webs that sandwich a longitudinal slit, that is, at their ends they are connected by a band portion 30 that has the full width (i.e., connected at the portion 30 where the band ends are clinched to the main part of the band 10).

[0025] Figure 2A shows the pivoting motion for closing a conventional hinged band clamp 14. The maximum pivot angle of the hinged clamp 14 is typically limited to approximately 180° by the contact of the outer surfaces or semicircular halves 10a, 10b that abut each other. The pivot angle can be measured and / or defined by the angle between the tangents at the ideal ends of the two semicircular ends of the clamping band 10 in both the closed and fully open configurations of the band clamp.

[0026] Figure 2B shows the limited swivel angle of the band clamp according to the present invention, and the hinge 14 of the band clamp is provided with a limiting means that limits the swivel angle to less than 180° (approximately 90° in the case of Figure 2B).

[0027] Figure 3A shows a typical assembly configuration of a band clamp with a common hinge 14. The use of the hinge allows the V-clamp to open over a very wide range. In environments where assembly space is limited, such as when an obstacle 22 is positioned within the clamp's range of motion, such opening can make assembly difficult. Such situations can occur in engine exhaust systems and compressed gas systems where V-clamps are applied.

[0028] In the first step, the first half 10a of the semicircular half is brought into contact with the flange of the pipe 20 to be connected. To close the clamp, the second half 10b of the semicircular half is brought into contact with the flange of the pipe 20 to be connected. Figure 3A It needs to be rotated 180° as indicated by the arrow. In some target applications, the space required for this rotational movement may not be available due to the presence of other obstacles such as tubes 22. Then the second half of the half section 10b The pipe must be passed through the space between the pipe 20 and the obstacle 22, while simultaneously attaching the first half 10a of the semicircular half to the flange. This is cumbersome and requires the use of both hands 26, but in some cases, such as when the worker is standing on a ladder or holding tools, both hands may not be available.

[0029] According to one aspect of the present invention, this problem is solved by providing a limiting means 24 on the hinge 14 for limiting the rotation angle to less than 180°, particularly 120° or less.

[0030] Figure 3B shows the assembly of Figure 2A when using a band clamp with a restricting means 24 according to the present invention. Thanks to the restricting means 24, the second half portion 10b of the half portion can be passed through the space between the pipe 20 and the obstacle 22 in a simple way using only one hand 26, while the first half portion 10a of the semicircular half portion can be attached to the flange. The hinge 14 with the restricting means 24 has the advantage of improving the transmission of tension through the hinge 14 while also facilitating the attachment of the clamp.

[0031] Figure 4 is a detailed view of the hinge 14 of the band clamp according to the present invention. Figure 5 is a detailed view of the trunnion 16 of the band clamp according to the present invention. The limiting means 24 of this embodiment is formed by projections 24a, 24b, and 24c on the inner surfaces of the side flat band loops 14a and 14b, which engage with recesses 24d, 24e, and 24f of the outer cylindrical surface 24g of the trunnion 16, respectively, and the circumferential length of the recesses 24d to 24f is configured to limit the swivel angle.

[0032] Specifically, the embossed first projections 24a and 24b are provided on the axially outer edges of the two side flat band loops 14a and 14b of the first half portion 10a of the semicircular half portion, and engage with the first recesses 24d and 24e on the axial edge of the trunnion 16. The first projections 24a and 24b that engage with the first recesses 24d and 24e function as "trunnion keepers," that is, they prevent the trunnion 16 from sliding axially off the side flat band loops 14a and 14b. The first projections 24a and 24b may be the same length as the first recesses 24d and 24e in the circumferential direction, or they may be shorter. In the latter case, when the hinge 14 rotates beyond a certain angle until the first projections 24a and 24b contact one end of the first recesses 24d and 24e in the longitudinal direction of the first recesses 24d and 24e, the first projections 24a and 24b may slide within the first recesses 24d and 24e.

[0033] The slit-shaped second recess 24f (Figure 5) is located at the axial center of the outer cylindrical surface 24g of the trunnion 16 and is oriented circumferentially to the essentially cylindrical body of the trunnion 16. An embossed corresponding second projection 24c (visible only from the back side of the band in Figure 4), which engages with the slit-shaped second recess 24f, is located on the inner surface of the central flat band loop 14c at the end of the second half 10b of the semicircular half. The second projection 24c slides within the slit-shaped second recess 24f when the hinge 14 pivots beyond a predetermined angle until the second projection 24c contacts one end of the slit-shaped second recess 24f in the longitudinal direction of the second recess 24f. The sum of the maximum sliding angles of the first recesses 24d, 24e and the second recess 24f defines the maximum pivot angle of the hinge 14.

[0034] Figure 6 shows a band clamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the limiting means 24 is formed by a web 24h connecting two side flat band loops 14a and 14b of the first half portion 10a of the semicircular half portion of the clamp. The central flat band loop 14c of the second half portion 10b of the semicircular half portion of the clamp comes into contact with the web 24h when it reaches a limit value for the swivel angle.

[0035] The two side flat band loops 14a and 14b of the first half of the semicircular half portion 10a and 10b of the clamp are each provided with a series of holes 24k, and the web 24 is formed as a clip having legs that can be inserted into one of the holes 24k. The position of the web 24h can be adjusted by selecting a set or group of holes 24k to which the web 24h is attached, thereby adjusting the limit of the swivel angle.

[0036] Figure 7 shows a band clamp with a fixed web 24i according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge 14 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] In the second embodiment, the web 24h is an additional element fixed to the band loops 14a and 14b, while the web 24i is formed by cutting and folding the bridge between the band loops 14a and 14b, while maintaining the same design principle as the web.

[0038] The web 24i is punched out from the sheet metal strip of the band and press-formed to protrude beyond the main height of the side flat band loops 14a and 14b by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the central flat band loop 14c. The side inner edges of the side flat band loops 14a and 14b are formed by the web. 24i Bay-shaped depressions 28a-28d are formed on both sides of the end of the web 24i, and the portion of the web 24i sandwiched between the pair of depressions 28a,28b;28c,28d is inclined such that the height of the web 24i is constant across the width of the central flat band loop 14c.

[0039] The web 24i acts as a stopper for contact with the central flat band loop 14c, and the position of the web 24i along the trajectory of the outer surface of the central flat band loop 14c defines the maximum opening angle. This position, and thus the maximum opening angle, can be easily changed during the manufacturing process by adjusting the points 30a and 30b to which the band portion 30 is clinched to the main part of the band 10. By moving points 30a and 30b in the direction of arrow A, the web 24i moves in the same direction, increasing the maximum opening angle. Therefore, by appropriately setting the clinch points 30a and 30b, band clamps with different maximum opening angles can be manufactured using the same punching tool and the same blank.

[0040] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the limiting angle of the hinge in the third embodiment of the present invention. The discussion regarding the limiting angle will be described below for the third embodiment, but the same discussion can be applied to the second and fourth embodiments of the present invention with necessary modifications. The opening angle is determined by the center point of the hinge 14 and the center points of the trunnions 12c and 12d, which are connected by screws in the assembled state. ConnectingIt is defined as the angle between a line Y passing through the midpoint of a line and the same line called Y' in the open state shown in Figure 9.

[0041] The Y-axis of the coordinate system is defined by a line passing through the hinge center point and the midpoint of the line connecting the center points of trunnions 12c and 12d in the assembled state. The X-axis is perpendicular to the Y-axis and passes through the hinge center point.

[0042] In Figure 9, the band loop angle is the angle between the X-axis and the line of the central band loop 14c.

[0043] To ensure the required opening angle, it is necessary to provide an element that prevents further opening. The position of the blocking element depends on the geometric shape and the required opening angle. The approximate formula for the curve to which the web 24h or 24i should be fixed is as follows:

number

[0044] For a specific geometric shape with a known band loop outside diameter, the coordinates can be defined using the following equation.

number

[0045] By solving the above equation for X and Y, we can find the appropriate positions X and Y of the web 24h and 24i for any opening angle.

[0046] Figure 10 shows a band clamp according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which has a limiting means formed by a rear edge 24j of a slit-shaped gap between flat band loops 14a and 14b. The rear edge 24j of the gap is positioned to contact at least one flat band loop 14c of the second half portion 10b of the semicircular half portion in the fully open configuration, thereby forming the limiting means. For the record, the rear edge 24j of the gap is formed by the front end of the band portion 30. Here again, the limiting opening angle can be set by appropriately selecting the clinch points 30a and 30b. The two flat band loops (14a-14b) each contact the outer surface of the trunnion and have a contact portion formed as an arc with an angular length of 180°+α1 and radius r, and a straight upper portion that is folded back and connected to the main part of the first half (10a) of the semicircular half, the rear edge (24j) is positioned at a distance d from the transition point between the contact portion and the straight upper portion, the distance d being less than r / tan(α1), preferably less than 0.8×r / tan(α1). [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Clamping Bands 10a First Half Section 10b Second Half Section 12 Tensioning Elements 12a Bandloop 12b Bandloop 12c Trunnion 12d Trunnion 14 Hinge 14a, 14b, 14c Band Loop 16 trunnions 18a-18d Inlay 20 pipes 22 Obstacles 24 Restrictive measures 24a protrusion 24b protrusion 24c protrusion 24d recess 24e recess 24f recess 24g cylindrical outer surface 24h Web 24i Web 26 moves 28a~28i dent 30 Band Section

Claims

1. A clamp comprising a clamping band (10), a tensioning element (12) for applying tension to the clamping band (10), and a hinge (14) located on the opposite side from the tensioning element (12), wherein the hinge (14) pivotably connects the ends of two essentially semicircular halves (10a, 10b) of the clamping band (10), wherein the hinge (14) has a trunnion (16) positioned in the axial direction of the clamp, The aforementioned hinge (14) is At least one flat band loop (14a, 14b, 14c) is provided at each end of the two essentially semicircular halves (10a, 10b) of the clamp, Includes a limiting means (24) for limiting the rotation angle to less than 180°, The flat band loops (14a, 14b, 14c) are The punched portions at the ends of the two semicircular halves (10a, 10b) are folded back onto the clamping band (10) so that the inner surfaces of the flat band loops (14a, 14b, 14c) abut against the cylindrical outer surface (24g) of the trunnion (16), and include a straight upper section. A clamp characterized by the following features.

2. A clamp according to claim 1, It has at least one section provided with substantially V-shaped cross-sectional inlays (18a-18d) configured to interact with flanges formed at the opposing ends of two interconnected pipes (20). A clamp characterized by the following features.

3. A clamp according to claim 1, The limiting means (24) is configured to limit the rotation angle to less than 120°. A clamp characterized by the following features.

4. A clamp according to claim 1, The limiting means (24) is configured to limit the rotation angle to 100° or less. A clamp characterized by the following features.

5. The clamp according to claim 2, The limiting means (24) is configured to limit the rotation angle to 100° or less. A clamp characterized by the following features.

6. A clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The limiting means (24) is formed by at least one projection (24a to 24c) on the inner surface of the flat band loop (14a to 14c) that engages with recesses (24d to 24f) on the cylindrical outer surface (24g) of the trunnion (16), and the circumferential length of the recesses (24d to 24f) is configured to limit the swivel angle. A clamp characterized by the following features.

7. A clamp according to claim 6, Each of the flat band loops (14a to 14c) has a projection (24a to 24c) that engages with a corresponding recess (24d to 24f) on the cylindrical outer surface (24g) of the trunnion (16). A clamp characterized by the following features.

8. A clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The first half (10a) of the semicircular half of the clamp has two side flat band loops (14a-14b) with a gap between them, and the second half (10b) of the semicircular half of the clamp has at least one central flat band loop (14c) that engages with the gap between the two flat band loops (14a, 14b) of the first semicircular half (10a) of the clamp. A clamp characterized by the following features.

9. A clamp according to claim 8, The two flat band loops (14a-14b) are connected by a band portion that forms the rear edge (24j) of the gap, and the rear edge (24j) of the gap is positioned to abut against the at least one central flat band loop (14c) of the second half portion (10b) of the semicircular half portion to form the restricting means (24). A clamp characterized by the following features.

10. A clamp according to claim 9, The two flat band loops (14a-14b) each contact the outer surface of the trunnion and have a contact portion formed as an arc with an angular length of 180° + α1 and radius r, and a straight upper portion that is folded back and connected to the main portion of the first half (10a) of the semicircular half portion, and the rear edge (24j) is positioned at a distance d from the transition point between the contact portion and the straight upper portion, the distance d being less than r / tan(α1) A clamp characterized by the following features.

11. A clamp according to claim 8, The limiting means (24) is formed by a web (24h) connecting two side flat band loops (14a, 14b) of the first half (10a) of the semicircular half of the clamp, and when the central flat band loop (14c) of the second half (10b) of the semicircular half of the clamp reaches a limit value for the swivel angle, it comes into contact with the web (24h). A clamp characterized by the following features.

12. A clamp according to claim 11, The shape and / or position of the web (24h) is adjustable, thereby adjusting the limit value of the rotation angle. A clamp characterized by the following features.

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