Adjustable Clamp With Movable Follower for Above-Table Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjustable clamps have a solid structure that cannot be easily folded or quickly attached to various supporting members or tables, requiring users to bend or squat to operate the screw or bolt, making them difficult to actuate or operate.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable clamp design featuring a carrier member with a compartment, a rotatable fastener, a follower with a screw hole, and anchoring elements forming a C-shaped structure, allowing the clamp to be easily engaged through a tiny space beside a table edge, with a driver tool located above the table for easy operation without bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the clamp body uses a solid structure, then the structural strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because users must bend or squat to operate the screw or bolt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional clamp structure by positioning the operating mechanism (screw/bolt) above the table surface rather than below it. The clamp body is designed to engage from above, allowing users to operate the fastening mechanism while standing upright, eliminating the need to bend or squat under the table.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the operation space from a horizontal/under-table dimension to a vertical/above-table dimension. The clamp body and fastening mechanism are positioned in the vertical space above the table, changing the operational paradigm from working underneath to working from above.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the clamp body uses a solid structure, then the structural stability is improved, but the speed of attachment deteriorates because it cannot be quickly folded or attached
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp body is divided into multiple segments or components that can be quickly assembled and disassembled. The anchoring elements are separable from the main body, allowing for rapid attachment and detachment while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp incorporates dynamic elements that allow for quick transformation between assembled and disassembled states. The anchoring elements can be rapidly inserted or removed from the clamp body, enabling fast attachment to table surfaces without compromising structural stability when engaged.
3Reliability
If the clamp body uses a solid structure, then the mounting reliability is improved, but the ease of installation deteriorates because it cannot be engaged through a tiny space beside an edge portion of a table plate
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring elements are extracted as separate, removable components from the main clamp body. These anchoring elements are designed to be inserted through small openings or spaces beside the table edge, allowing the clamp to be installed in locations where the full clamp body cannot be accessed, while still providing reliable mounting when assembled.
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 easy and quick attachment and operation of the clamp without requiring users to work under the table, providing stable and secure mounting of objects like keyboards and monitors.
Implementation Method 1
a follower (30) slidably received and engaged in the compartment (11) of the carrier member (10), the follower (30) including a screw hole (31) formed in the follower (30) for threading and engaging with the fastener (20) and for allowing the follower (30) to be moved up and down relative to the carrier member (10) when the fastener (20) is rotated relative to the carrier member (10)
Implementation Method 2
for allowing the lower limb of the anchoring element to be forced to engage with the table plate and to secure the follower and the carrier member to the table plate when the follower and the anchoring element are moved up and down relative to the table plate and the carrier member with the fastener
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable clamp includes a carrier member to be supported on a table plate, a fastener is rotatably engaged in a compartment of the carrier member, a follower is slidably engaged in the carrier member and includes a screw hole for engaging with the fastener, and an anchoring element includes an upper limb for engaging with the follower, and a middle limb arranged between the upper limb and a lower limb for allowing the table plate to be engaged between the upper limb and the lower limb, and for allowing the lower limb to be forced to engage with the table plate when the follower is moved relative to the carrier member with the fastener.