Clamping Device Mitre Joint Alignment Bench Top Edge
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for attaching edge pieces to bench or table tops using mitre joints are complex and result in conspicuous joins due to the requirement for precise positioning of inclined faces and outer extremities, lacking a practical solution for precise joining of mitred edges.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a body, arms, and locators that facilitate the precise alignment and clamping of mitred edge pieces to a bench or table top, featuring a rib for alignment and a retainer for adjustable engagement with edge pieces of varying thickness and depth, allowing for easy alignment and secure locking of the mitre joint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a mitre joint is formed between the edge and edge piece, then the join becomes unnoticeable or less conspicuous, but the joining process becomes more complicated and requires precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device serves as an intermediary tool that facilitates the joining of mitred edges. It includes a body with a base and first and second arms, where the first arm has a first clamping member for clamping the bench top and the second arm has a second clamping member for clamping the edge piece. The arms are spaced apart to receive the mitred edge and edge piece between them, enabling precise alignment and joining without requiring complex manual positioning techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device performs preliminary positioning and alignment actions before the actual joining occurs. The first and second locators carried by the body engage with the edge piece and bench top respectively to maintain them in the required configuration during clamping. This preliminary action ensures that the mitred faces are properly aligned and the outer extremities are precisely positioned before adhesive is applied and the joint is formed
2Manufacturing precision
If the outer extremities of the mitre faces are precisely positioned to be coincident, then the join becomes unnoticeable, but the complexity of the joining process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device acts as a mediator that simplifies the complex task of achieving precise coincidence of outer extremities. The body with its base and spaced-apart arms provides a rigid framework that maintains the correct spacing and alignment. The locators carried by the body automatically position the edge piece and bench top in the required configuration, eliminating the need for complex measurement and adjustment procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device enables the workpieces to self-align and self-position through the action of the locators and clamping members. The first locator engages with the edge piece and the second locator engages with the bench top, automatically maintaining them in the required configuration. This self-service mechanism reduces the skill and time required by the operator to achieve precise alignment
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
There is disclosed a clamping device mountable to a bench top for setting an edge piece to an edge thereof such that the edge piece projects from the bench top at a predetermined angle, with interengaging surfaces of the edge piece and edge being formed with mating mitres whereby a mitre joint is formed between the edge piece and the bench top, the clamping device comprising a body, a first clamping means supported from the body for clamping the device to the bench top, a second clamping means supported from the body for applying clamping pressure to the mitre joint, and first and second locators carried by the body and engageable with the edge piece and bench top respectively to maintain them in the required configuration during clamping. There is also disclosed a related method of attaching an edge piece to an edge of a bench top.