Clamp Tool Vertical Support One-Handed Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamping tools lack ergonomic design and efficient mechanisms for one-handed operation, especially when cutting panel strips at angles, requiring complex hand movements and multiple lever actuations for clamping and releasing.
Innovation Solution
A clamping tool with a vertical support connecting the fixed and movable clamping jaws, featuring a drive device below the fixed jaw, an actuating handle, and a swivel drive lever for easy clamping and releasing, along with a release lever for unlocking the reverse pressure lock, allowing for one-handed operation and easy angle adjustments using a tool support plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drive device is positioned below the fixed clamping jaw with a vertical support, then the clamping tool enables one-handed operation and improved ergonomics, but the structural complexity increases due to the vertical support and associated mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The drive device is repositioned from a horizontal arrangement to a vertical arrangement below the fixed clamping jaw, utilizing the vertical dimension through the vertical support. This dimensional change enables the operator to access the actuating handle and drive lever from the side, facilitating one-handed operation while maintaining functional effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical support acts as an intermediary element connecting the base to the fixed clamping jaw and providing mounting for the drive device. This mediator component enables the repositioning of the drive device without compromising the structural integrity or clamping functionality, resolving the conflict between operational ease and structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the movable clamping jaw is gradually displaced by successively pivoting the drive lever, then precise clamping force is applied to the workpiece, but the time required for clamping operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive lever utilizes periodic pivoting motion to gradually displace the movable clamping jaw toward the fixed jaw. Each pivot cycle advances the clamping jaw by a small increment, allowing precise control of clamping force through repeated periodic actions while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive lever system employs dynamic motion where the lever pivots through a range of motion to translate rotational input into linear displacement of the movable clamping jaw. This dynamic mechanism allows the operator to apply precise clamping force through controlled, progressive motion rather than direct linear forcing.
3Productivity
If the release lever is used to cancel the clamping position by pivoting towards the operating handle, then the workpiece can be quickly removed, but the mechanism complexity increases due to the reverse pressure lock system
Solution Approach 1:
The reverse pressure lock mechanism预先 applies a locking action that prevents the movable clamping jaw from moving away from the fixed jaw during clamping. The release lever then applies a counteracting force by pivoting toward the operating handle, canceling the preliminary locking action and enabling quick workpiece removal. This preliminary anti-action and its reversal facilitates rapid release while maintaining secure clamping during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The release lever system is designed to be actuated by the same hand that operates the drive lever, allowing the mechanism to serve itself through integrated control. The fingers that grip the actuating handle can also pivot the release lever, eliminating the need for separate control mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity despite the presence of the reverse pressure lock.
4Ease of operation
If the actuating handle protrudes from the vertical support and is used for both carrying and actuation, then the device becomes more portable and easier to operate with one hand, but the handle design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating handle serves multiple functions: it acts as the primary actuator for the drive lever, serves as a carrying handle for portability, and provides a grip point for one-handed operation. This multi-functional design consolidates several elements into a single component, enabling portability and ease of operation while actually reducing overall device complexity by eliminating separate carrying handles or actuation 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 efficient, ergonomic clamping and cutting of panel strips at various angles with minimal effort, allowing for easy transportation and re-clamping of workpieces while maintaining the angle stop position, facilitating precise and efficient cutting operations.
Implementation Method 1
A compression spring surrounding the slide rail is used for this purpose. If a force is applied to the carrier slide on one side by means of the active arm, it jams with the slide rail, so that the force applied to the carrier slide in the course of pivoting the drive lever results in a linear displacement of the drive housing on the slide rail
Implementation Method 2
A blocking slide designed similarly to the entrainment slide is permanently held in a tilted position by a spring and thus acts as a reverse pressure lock
Data Source
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AI summary
The tool has a stand (1) for setting up the tool on a horizontal surface. A fixed clamping jaw (2) is spaced apart from the stand in a vertical direction. A movable clamping jaw (4) is displaceable on the fixed clamping jaw in a vertical direction using a drive device (3). A vertical support connects the stand with the fixed clamping jaw, and is attached to the drive device. A grip is arranged at the vertical support and the drive device. An actuation handle of the drive device is provided adjacent to the grip.