Belt Clamp Assembly With Spring Retention for Expanding Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clamping devices struggle to securely hold objects that expand, such as hydrogen tanks, due to the difficulty in maintaining clamping force while accommodating dimensional changes without risking loss of the spring or requiring complex manipulations during placement and clamping.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a belt and a clamping member that moves its ends relative to each other, utilizing a spring and connecting piece to maintain clamping force, allowing for easy placement and secure clamping by pre-mounting the spring and using a waiting position to prevent loss during manipulation, with optional features like a waiting clipping member and threshold mark for precise clamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the clamping member is retained relative to the belt ends via a spring and connecting piece, then the clamping force is maintained despite object expansions, but the placement and clamping operation becomes more complex due to the need to hold the spring and connecting piece in position
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting piece is designed with a waiting position that allows the spring and connecting piece to be pre-assembled and held in position before the actual clamping operation. This preliminary positioning eliminates the complexity of manipulating these components during the clamping process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting piece acts as an intermediary component between the spring and the belt end. It provides a waiting position that temporarily holds the spring in place, facilitating easier operation during placement while maintaining the spring's function of preserving clamping force during object expansion.
2Force
If significant clamping forces are required to hold the belt around the object, then the clamping is secure, but the mounting and positioning of the belt becomes difficult due to reaction forces and return forces from the spring
Solution Approach 1:
The waiting position of the connecting piece allows the spring to be pre-loaded and positioned before the clamping operation begins. This preliminary action prepares the system to generate significant clamping forces without requiring complex manipulation during the actual mounting and positioning phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring provides self-service by automatically generating the necessary return forces to maintain clamping pressure on the expanding object. The connecting piece with its waiting position enables this self-service function to be activated without requiring continuous complex manipulation by the operator.
3Ease of operation
If the spring is not pre-mounted and held in position, then the manipulation is simpler, but the spring may be lost or require complex manipulations to hold it in place during clamping
Solution Approach 1:
The waiting position provides a preliminary holding mechanism that secures the spring in place before the clamping operation. This preliminary action maintains manipulation simplicity while ensuring spring retention, as the spring is held in the waiting position without requiring complex manipulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting piece serves as an intermediary structure that holds the spring in its waiting position. This intermediary mechanism ensures spring retention while maintaining operational simplicity, as the spring is securely held by the connecting piece's waiting position rather than requiring complex manipulation or additional retention mechanisms.
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 simple and secure clamping of expanding objects by maintaining clamping force through elastic deformation of the spring, ensuring proper positioning and preventing spring loss during device placement and operation, while allowing for significant clamping forces and easy implementation.
Implementation Method 1
maintain the clamping force exerted by the belt, despite the possible expansions of the object clamped by the device
Data Source
AI summary
The clamping device comprises a belt with at least a first and a second clamping end and a clamping member which connects the two clamping ends while being retained relative to them so that the clamping of the clamping member moves the first and second clamping ends relative to each other by clamping the belt. The clamping member is retained relative to at least the first clamping end via a spring and a connecting piece, so that the clamping of the clamping member tends to move the connecting piece relative to the first clamping end against the elastic return of the spring. The connecting piece is able to occupy, relative to the first clamping end, a waiting position in which it holds the spring with respect to the first clamping end.