Beam Flange Clamp With Sliding Wedge for Adjustable Load Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beam flange clamps lack flexibility and adjustability to accommodate various beam sizes and orientations, leading to inadequate clamping force distribution and potential failure under stress, as they are often designed to fit specific sizes and lack adjustable features.
Innovation Solution
A beam flange clamp with a C-shaped body and wedge-shaped retaining segment, featuring multiple channels and a longer ramp for adjustable engagement, serrations for secure sliding, and a snap feature to prevent excessive force, along with adhesive or micro-suction surfaces for enhanced grip, allowing for secure attachment of cables or straps across different beam sizes and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing beam flange clamps are designed to fit specific sizes, then they provide a simple and straightforward attachment solution, but they lack flexibility and adjustability to accommodate various beam sizes and orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp incorporates a movable jaw that can slide along the beam flange surface, transforming a static fixed-size clamp into a dynamic adjustable one. This allows the clamp to adapt to different beam sizes and orientations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp is designed with multiple channels and an adjustable jaw that can accommodate various beam sizes, orientations, and article types (cables, hoses, conduits). This multi-functional design allows a single clamp type to serve multiple purposes across different application scenarios.
2Reliability
If existing clamps lack adjustable features, then they have a simple design, but they provide inadequate clamping force distribution and potential failure under stress
Solution Approach 1:
The movable jaw mechanism allows the clamping force to be dynamically adjusted and distributed along the beam flange surface. This dynamic adjustment capability ensures optimal force distribution and prevents stress concentration that could lead to failure, while adding only moderate complexity to the design.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp enables changes in clamping parameters (position, force distribution) through the movable jaw mechanism. This allows the clamping force to be optimized for different beam sizes and load conditions, improving reliability without requiring a completely complex redesign.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing clamps are designed for specific sizes, then they are easy to manufacture, but they lack flexibility to accommodate different beam dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The movable jaw design allows a single clamp body to accommodate different beam dimensions through adjustment rather than manufacturing multiple fixed-size clamps. This maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving dimensional adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp incorporates multiple channels and an adjustable jaw that can accommodate various beam dimensions and orientations, allowing a single manufactured component to serve multiple size requirements without needing separate clamp variants.
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 provides a secure, adjustable, and flexible attachment solution for elongated articles, distributing load effectively across a wider surface area, preventing creasing and chafing, and ensuring a consistent clamping force across different beam sizes, while preventing damage from excessive force application.
Implementation Method 1
serrations for secure sliding
Implementation Method 2
wedge-shaped retaining segment
Implementation Method 3
adhesive or micro-suction surfaces for enhanced grip
Implementation Method 4
adhesive or micro-suction surfaces for enhanced grip
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
Figure 9~12
AI summary
A fastener assembly includes a clamp body (12) six channels (120-130) extending therethrough configured to permit a cable tie or strap (66) to be passed therethrough. A first channel (120) is coplanar with and perpendicular to a second channel (122). A third channel (124) is coplanar with and perpendicular to a fourth channel (126). A fifth channel (128) is coplanar with and perpendicular to a sixth channel (130). The first and second channels (120, 122) are perpendicular to the third and fourth channels (124, 126) and parallel to the fifth and sixth channels (128, 130). The fastener assembly includes a clamp body (12) having an upper clamping arm (24), a lower ramp arm (26) and a stress arm (28) therebetween and a retaining segment (14) slideably connected to the lower ramp arm (26). The lower ramp arm (26) defines a pair of ramp ledges (52) that are slideably received within a pair of wedge channels (44) defined by the retaining segment (14).