Gravity-Assisted Clamp Mount for Low-Fatigue IV Pole Securing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for mounting medical equipment to IV poles are cumbersome, require complex and costly hardware, leading to user fatigue and insufficient clamping force, which can result in equipment damage or patient injury due to the need for excessive wrist action and strength.
Innovation Solution
A clamp device utilizing a gravity-assisted wedging action with a base and slider mechanism that securely mounts equipment to a support structure, providing sufficient clamping force without relying on user strength, featuring angled coupling elements and troughs to accommodate various diameters and orientations of support structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a lead screw mechanism with a knob is used to mount equipment to an IV pole, then the mounting can be achieved with simple components, but the user experiences wrist fatigue and injury due to excessive wrist action required to turn the knob multiple times
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp device uses the weight of the equipment itself to generate the clamping force. When the equipment is placed on the IV pole, gravity causes the equipment to push down on the clamp mechanism, which automatically tightens the clamp around the pole without requiring any manual turning or wrist action from the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual lead screw mechanism with a gravity-assisted cam mechanism. Instead of using rotational motion from a knob to generate linear clamping motion, the system uses the vertical gravitational force on the equipment to drive a cam that automatically generates the horizontal clamping force needed to secure the pole.
2Device complexity
If a lead screw mechanism is used to secure heavy equipment, then the structure can be simple, but the clamping force is limited by the user's strength and may be insufficient for heavy equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism is designed to convert the downward gravitational force (weight) of the heavy equipment into a perpendicular clamping force. The geometry of the cam provides mechanical advantage, multiplying the force generated by the equipment's weight to produce sufficient clamping pressure on the IV pole, regardless of the user's strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state from manual rotational force to gravitational potential energy conversion. By positioning the clamp and cam mechanism to utilize the vertical drop and weight of the equipment, the system transforms the equipment's mass into the necessary clamping force parameter.
3Reliability
If multiple rotations of a knob are required to achieve sufficient tightening, then the mounting can be secure, but the process takes time and leads to user fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp device is pre-configured with the cam mechanism positioned to automatically engage and tighten as soon as the equipment is placed on the IV pole. The geometry of the cam and clamp surfaces is designed so that the natural settling of the equipment under gravity immediately generates the required clamping force, eliminating any manual adjustment steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system performs the tightening action automatically through the gravity-assisted cam mechanism. The equipment itself provides the force needed to secure the mounting, requiring no time-consuming manual operations from the user while still achieving reliable security.
4Force
If a clamp device uses gravity-assisted wedging action, then the clamping force is sufficient for heavy equipment without user strength, but the mechanism becomes more complex than a simple lead screw
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp device is divided into distinct functional segments: a stationary base that contacts the IV pole, a movable clamp body that applies the clamping force, and a cam mechanism that translates gravitational motion into clamping action. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a manual mechanism to generate clamping force against gravity, the patent inverts the approach by using gravity to generate the force that drives the clamping mechanism. The cam is oriented and positioned so that the downward motion of the equipment under gravity directly produces the horizontal clamping force, reversing the traditional approach.
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
The clamp device offers a quick, ergonomic, and cost-effective solution for securely mounting heavy medical equipment, reducing user fatigue and enhancing patient safety by leveraging gravity and the weight of the equipment for clamping force.
Implementation Method 1
A clamp device utilizing a gravity-assisted wedging action with a base and slider mechanism that securely mounts equipment to a support structure
Implementation Method 2
A clamp device utilizing a gravity-assisted wedging action with a base and slider mechanism that securely mounts equipment to a support structure
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp device for mounting equipment to a support structure including a base and a slider. The base includes a first trough formed in the front side of the base and a second trough formed in the back side of the base and a first coupling element located on the first lateral side and a second coupling element located on the second lateral side of the base. Each of the first and second coupling elements extend from near the top end of the base towards the bottom end of the base at an angle relative to the first trough. The slider includes a channel on a back side of the slider and corresponding coupling elements within the channel configured to slidingly engage the first and second coupling elements upon association of the slider with the base.