Accessory Rail Clamp Latch Design for Fast Secure Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamps for attaching accessories to surgical tables with non-standard accessory rails are cumbersome and time-consuming to reposition due to reliance on threaded screws, which can be difficult for caregivers with less strength to loosen.
Innovation Solution
A clamp design featuring a fixed jaw and a movable jaw with a resilient member and latch mechanism, allowing quick attachment and detachment without sliding onto the rail, using radiolucent materials to maintain imaging clarity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If threaded screws are used to clamp accessories to rails, then the clamp can be securely attached, but it becomes time-consuming and difficult to loosen and reposition
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp transitions from a static threaded screw system to a dynamic lever-operated jaw system. The movable jaw can quickly transition between open and closed positions through lever action, enabling rapid attachment and detachment while maintaining secure clamping when closed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the time-consuming threaded screw mechanism and replaces it with a direct lever-operated clamping action. The screw is completely removed from the system, eliminating the need to thread and unthread fasteners while maintaining clamping security through the lever-induced mechanical advantage
2Reliability
If multiple accessories are attached to rails with threaded screws, then the accessories can be securely mounted, but it becomes cumbersome to reposition them
Solution Approach 1:
The lever-operated movable jaw creates a dynamic clamping system that can be quickly opened and closed. This dynamic mechanism allows caregivers to easily reposition multiple accessories by simply operating the lever to open the jaw, moving the accessory, and closing it again, without the cumulative burden of multiple threaded screws
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design allows for easy self-service repositioning. The lever mechanism is designed to be operable by hand without requiring tools or excessive force, enabling caregivers to independently reposition accessories as needed during surgical procedures
3Reliability
If caregivers tighten threaded screws to ensure secure attachment, then the accessories are firmly clamped, but other caregivers with less strength cannot loosen them
Solution Approach 1:
The lever-operated system provides controlled mechanical advantage in both directions. When closing the jaw, the lever multiplies the applied force to generate strong clamping force. When opening, the same lever mechanism equally multiplies the force needed to release, ensuring that anyone who can close the clamp can also open it, regardless of individual strength variations
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using threaded screws that require significant torque to loosen after tightening, the invention inverts the approach by using a lever system where the same mechanical action (lever displacement) that creates clamping force also provides the means to release it. The force direction is reversed by simply moving the lever in the opposite direction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and consistent clamping and unclamping of accessories on non-standard rails, reducing the complexity of screw management and ensuring ease of use for caregivers of varying strength.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member that is forced against the rail when the second jaw is moved to the closed position to inhibit the movement of the clamp along the rail
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp is provided for securing an accessory to a rail of a patient support apparatus. The clamp comprises a first jaw adapted to be placed on the rail, a second jaw coupled to the first jaw for movement between an open position and a closed position, a resilient member that is forced against the rail when the second jaw is moved from the open position to the closed position, and a latch coupled to the second jaw and movable relative to the second jaw between a latched position in which the second jaw is locked in the closed position relative to the first jaw and an unlatched position in which the second jaw is movable between the open and closed positions. The resilient member engages the rail with sufficient force to inhibit movement of the clamp along the rail when the second jaw is in the closed position.