Compact Equipment Clamp With Indexed Rotation and Cam Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional equipment clamps for medical devices have an elongated profile due to the need for long screws and additional protrusions for rotation, which can interfere with other clamps or structures on supports, and lack features like a lock to prevent unauthorized removal.
Innovation Solution
A compact clamp design incorporating a moveable thruster plate with a fixed jaw, indexed rotation, and a lock mechanism, utilizing a thruster cylinder and enlarged knob for secure engagement and rotation without external threaded extensions, and a cam lock to prevent unauthorized removal, allowing for dual rotational adjustments to minimize interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional screw mechanism is used to move the moveable jaw, then the jaw can be securely engaged with the support, but the screw must be longer than the maximum distance between jaws plus the clamp body width, creating an elongated profile that interferes with other clamps or structures
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded opening is formed within a recess in the clamp body, nesting the screw mechanism inside the clamp body rather than extending externally. This allows the screw to be contained within the clamp body dimensions, eliminating the elongated profile while maintaining the full length needed for secure jaw engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw mechanism is extracted from the external profile by creating a threaded opening within the clamp body recess. The screw operates entirely within the bounds of the clamp body, separating the functional length requirement from the external dimensional constraints.
2Ease of operation
If rotational capability is added to present equipment in an upright orientation, then user accessibility is improved, but substantial protrusions from the clamp body are required, further increasing the profile and potential for interference
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation mechanism is nested within the clamp body by forming a rotational opening within the recess. The rotational mechanism operates entirely within the bounds of the clamp body, eliminating substantial external protrusions while maintaining full rotational capability for upright equipment orientation.
3Reliability
If a lock is incorporated to prevent unauthorized removal of the clamp, then security is improved, but the overall width of the clamp increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism is integrated with the existing jaw operator mechanism, allowing the same structural elements to serve dual functions. The locking feature is incorporated into the clamp body without requiring separate dedicated space, thereby preventing unauthorized removal while maintaining compact dimensions.
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
The compact clamp design reduces the overall profile, enables secure and intuitive operation, and prevents unauthorized removal, while allowing for versatile positioning of medical equipment without interfering with other devices on the support.
Implementation Method 1
The rotation of the wheel is controlled by a spring return trigger that retracts a tang from spaced index recesses in the periphery of the wheel to permit rotation to a selected indexed position.
Implementation Method 2
A tubular cam lock is received in a cylindrical recess in the outer perimeter of the clamp body. A lock lever is mounted at the inner end of the lock body. When a key is rotated to the locked position the lock lever rotates to where it is adjacent to the thruster cylinder.
Implementation Method 3
A enlarged knob is attached to the cylinder which is threaded to engage the bolt near the outer end of the cylinder. The enlarged knob is sized to be easily grasped by the fingers and yet provide sufficient leverage to firm drive the thruster plate into engagement with a support.
Data Source
AI summary
The device utilizes a thruster cylinder driven by a enlarged knob and terminating in a thruster plate to clamp to a support. Provision is made to attach a device to the clamp through a rotating index wheel which can lock the device by receiving a tang from a trigger lever at a selected increment of rotation. A second embodiment has two index wheels so that the attached device can be displaced in one of four directions to avoid conflict with other devices on the same support. The second axis is normally used to return a displaced device to an upright orientation.