Clamping Device With Hollow Point Tip For Irregular Work Pieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clamping systems for milling machines are limited in their ability to securely and accurately hold work pieces of various materials, particularly those that are not perfectly shaped or paralleled, and are often restricted to specific types of materials.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a base plate with clamp bodies and fasteners, featuring a protruding piece with a hollow point tip that generates a circular sharp edge, allowing for secure clamping by applying force at a downward angle, enabling effective clamping of diverse materials and maintaining stability during machining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a typical clamp is used to hold the work piece, then the clamping structure is simple, but the clamp is limited to certain types of work piece materials and cannot accurately and firmly hold the work piece in place
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp body incorporates a protruding piece with a hollow point tip that has a specific geometric configuration (circular sharp edge defined by outer and inner lateral surfaces). This localized structural feature enables the clamp to effectively engage with different work piece materials and geometries, providing both adaptability and reliable holding security through the specialized tip design that can penetrate and grip various material types.
2Reliability
If a typical clamp is used to hold the work piece, then the device structure is simple, but the clamp cannot prevent relative movement of the work piece during machining
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp body is divided into distinct functional segments: a base portion for mounting, a protruding piece extending from the base, and a hollow point tip at the end of the protruding piece. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the base provides structural support, the protruding piece provides leverage and positioning, and the hollow point tip provides penetrating grip - thereby preventing work piece movement while maintaining reasonable structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow point tip features a circular sharp edge formed by the intersection of outer and inner lateral surfaces, creating a curved, conical geometry. This curved structure allows the tip to effectively penetrate and grip various work piece surfaces, preventing relative movement during machining by distributing clamping forces along the curved contact surfaces rather than at a single point.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional clamping systems are used, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the systems are restricted to specific types of materials and cannot machine work pieces that are not perfectly shaped or paralleled
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow point tip is pre-formed with its specific geometric configuration (circular sharp edge from intersecting lateral surfaces) during the clamp manufacturing process. This preliminary formation of the specialized gripping feature allows the clamp to be ready for use with various material types and irregular shapes without requiring additional adjustment or modification during operation, thereby achieving versatility while maintaining ease of manufacture through integrated tooling.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for clamping a work piece is provided. The apparatus includes a base plate to support the work piece; at least one clamp body fixed to the base plate; at least one fastener fixing the at least one clamp body to the base plate; and a protruding piece having at least a portion thereof inserted into the clamp body and an end thereof extending from a lateral face of the clamp body, the protruding piece including a hollow point tip at the opposite end, where outer and inner lateral surfaces of the hollow point tip join to define a circular sharp edge at the opposite end of the protruding piece.