Connector for Temporary Profiles With Adjustable Clamping Hooks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for long load-bearing structural profiles in temporary booths fail to provide a strong, robust connection while allowing rapid assembly and disassembly, due to limitations in accommodating dimensional tolerances and wear, and often require complex operations.
Innovation Solution
A connector with adjustable clamping hooks guided by pairs of elements, allowing translation without rotation, enabling precise fitting to undercuts on profiles, and an activation mechanism for easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If clamping hooks are driven apart transversely using a wedge mechanism, then the connector can engage profiles with a central slot, but the connection strength is reduced due to inability to achieve perfect clamping around slot edges
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping hooks are made movable along the longitudinal axis of the connector, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position to compensate for dimensional tolerances and wear. This dynamic adjustment enables perfect clamping around slot edges while maintaining ease of assembly through the wedge mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the positional parameter of the clamping hooks along the longitudinal axis, allowing them to move forward or backward to adapt to variations in slot dimensions. This parameter change enables the connector to maintain strong engagement despite manufacturing tolerances and wear over time.
2Ease of operation
If spring force or elastic deformation is used to open clamping hooks, then profiles can be joined, but the connection strength is limited and additional operations are required to tighten the connection
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the spring-based elastic mechanism with a wedge-driven mechanical system. The wedge mechanism provides direct mechanical force to open and close the clamping hooks, eliminating the need for spring force and additional tightening operations while achieving stronger connections.
3Device complexity
If the connector uses a hinge concept for leg movement, then assembly is simplified, but the clamping cannot be adjusted to match exact slot shape accounting for tolerances and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping hooks are made dynamically adjustable along the longitudinal axis, allowing them to adapt to variations in slot dimensions. This dynamic capability enables the connector to maintain proper engagement despite manufacturing tolerances and wear, while the hinge concept keeps the overall device complexity manageable.
4Strength
If manual compression against spring force is used to fasten the connector, then the connection can be tightened, but the assembly process becomes slower and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the spring-based system with a wedge-driven mechanical system that provides direct force multiplication. This substitution eliminates the need for manual compression against spring force, achieving strong connections while maintaining fast assembly through simple wedge actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge mechanism provides excessive mechanical advantage, generating sufficient clamping force with minimal input effort. This partial action approach allows the connector to achieve strong tightening without requiring full manual compression operations, thereby maintaining high assembly speed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
Connector (100) for detachably connecting profiles (900, 1200), said connector (100) comprising - a housing (118); - a first (101) and a second clamping component (102), each comprising at their ends a clamping hook (111, 112); - an activation mechanism adapted to shift the first and second clamping components (101, 102) with respect to the housing (118); - a first (107, 103) and a second pair of guide components (108, 104) adapted to define a trajectory of the first (101) and second clamping components (102), respectively, during the shift, so that at least during a part of the trajectory the distance in transverse direction Y between the clamping hooks (111, 112) is varied, and at least during a part of the trajectory the distance in longitudinal direction X between the housing (118) and the clamping hooks (111, 112) is varied.