Clamping Flange with Segmented Guide Trajectory for Reduced Vertical Bulk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamping devices for machining tools are of limited size but suffer from sliding and variable positioning issues due to curved and oblique docking movements, leading to unreliable clamping and increased bulk above the fixing plane.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a jack and flange actuated by a pressurized fluid, featuring guide members that enable a rotational movement at the release position and a translational movement perpendicular to the axis, ensuring a rectilinear clamping motion without sliding, achieved through a combination of first and second guide means and transmission mechanisms that define the flange's trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the flange moves in a pivoting motion along a curved trajectory, then the device achieves limited size with respect to the fixing plane, but the part experiences sliding on its supports and variable positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The movement of the flange is segmented into two distinct phases: a translational movement phase (for docking and clamping) and a rotational movement phase (for release). This segmentation is achieved through guide members that constrain the flange to follow a specific trajectory, first moving linearly toward the part and then rotating about a pivot axis. By separating the docking and release motions into distinct phases with different movement types, the invention eliminates sliding during clamping while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs dynamic movement characteristics by transitioning the flange from translational motion to rotational motion during its cycle. The guide members enable the flange to dynamically adjust its movement mode: during the docking phase, the flange moves translationally in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis, providing stable positioning; during the release phase, the flange rotates about the pivot axis, enabling efficient disengagement. This dynamic switching of movement types resolves the contradiction between compact size and positioning reliability.
2Reliability
If the clamping movement is rectilinear and perpendicular to the fixing plane, then positioning reliability is improved, but the device requires increased vertical bulk
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves the volume-reliability contradiction by utilizing a third dimension (rotation about a pivot axis) to achieve the release function. The flange's movement trajectory combines translational motion (for clamping) with rotational motion (for release), allowing the device to maintain a compact vertical profile while ensuring reliable rectilinear clamping. The rotational component enables the flange to clear the part during release without requiring additional vertical space, effectively using dimensional transformation to overcome the bulk limitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide members and pivot axis are nested within the compact device structure, with the rotational movement occurring within the existing vertical envelope. The flange rotates about a pivot axis that is integrated into the device body, allowing the release motion to occur without increasing the overall vertical bulk. This nesting approach enables complex multi-phase movement while maintaining a compact footprint above the fixing plane.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for clamping a part to be clamped (P) on a tool (O) that comprises a jack (2) and a flange (3), the flange (3) being actuated by the jack (2) via transmission means (4), the jack (2) being selectively actuated by a pressurised fluid and in turn comprising a body (1) fixed to the tool (O) during operation and a slide (20) slidably mounted relative to the body (1) along a slide axis (A). The flange (3) travels under the action of the jack between a clamping position and a release position in which it is retracted relative to the clamping position, following a movement comprising a rotation around a pivot axis at the end of its travel toward its release position and following a translational movement in a clamping direction (S) oblique or perpendicular to the axis of the slide (A) at the end of its travel toward its clamping position.