Ear Clamp Band Structure for Buckling Prevention During Tightening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Band clamps with ear-like tightening structures experience buckling issues, particularly in medical grade clamps with increased friction coefficients, which existing solutions fail to completely eliminate.
Innovation Solution
A band clamp design featuring a longitudinal rib with a continuously decreasing height and a dot at the shoulder portion, combined with a depression in the web, to reduce friction and prevent buckling by facilitating smooth slipping of the leg over the rib and creating a gap between the inner and outer band ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the band is degreased to improve sealing performance, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the friction coefficient increases which worsens the buckling risk
Solution Approach 1:
The rib structure introduces local geometric variation along the band, creating zones of different stiffness and friction characteristics. The gradually decreasing height of the rib creates a gradient structure that locally reduces friction at critical interfaces while maintaining overall structural integrity and sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib features a curved, gradually decreasing height profile rather than a straight or abrupt transition. This curvature creates a ramp-like surface that facilitates smooth sliding motion during tightening, reducing the frictional forces that cause buckling while maintaining the degreased surface's sealing properties.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a depression is provided in the web to reduce buckling, then the buckling resistance is improved, but the buckling risk cannot be completely eliminated especially with high friction surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The band structure is segmented into multiple functional zones: the depression in the web, the rib with gradually decreasing height, and the dot at the shoulder portion. These segmented features work together to address different aspects of the buckling problem - the depression provides initial guidance, the rib reduces friction during sliding, and the dot creates a gap to further reduce friction at the critical interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines multiple previously separate features (depression, rib structure, and dot) into an integrated solution. The rib merges with the depression and the dot merges with the shoulder portion, creating a coordinated system where each feature complements the others to completely eliminate buckling risk even on high-friction degreased surfaces.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rib height is constant to simplify manufacturing, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the friction reduction effect is insufficient causing buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The rib height is designed to vary dynamically along its length, creating a gradient structure that adapts to the tightening process. The gradually decreasing height provides different functional characteristics at different stages of tightening, optimizing friction reduction throughout the entire tightening sequence while remaining manufacturable through standard forming processes.
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 design effectively prevents buckling in both degreased and non-degreased conditions, maintaining stability during tightening by reducing friction and stiffening the inner band, even with increased friction coefficients.
Implementation Method 1
at least an end portion of said rib has a height continuously decreasing towards the tongue. While the rib has the twofold effect of stiffening the portion of the inner band having the rib and reducing the friction of the outer band in the course of the tightening movement of the clamp
Implementation Method 2
the web includes a depression to prevent buckling the inner band end including at least one hook
Implementation Method 3
a dot protruding toward the outer band end is provided at the shoulder portion, wherein a position of the centre of the dot in the longitudinal direction of the band set at a portion where the width of the band is larger than the reduced width of the tongue. The dot creates a gap between the inner band end and the outer band end at the entry portion of the tongue recess. This reduces the friction and, while the dot further stiffens the root portion of the tongue, reduces the risk of buckling.
Implementation Method 4
While the rib has the twofold effect of stiffening the portion of the inner band having the rib
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a band clamp including a clamping band (10) with an outer band end (12) and an inner band end (14), the outer band end (12) including at least one opening (16a-16c) and an ear-like tightening structure (18) with two radially outward extending legs (30, 32) and a web (34) interconnecting the outer ends of the legs (30, 32) and a tongue recess (20), wherein the web (34) includes a depression (36) to prevent buckling the inner band end (14) including at least one hook (22a-22c) and a tongue (28), wherein, in a pre-assembled configuration of the band clamp, the hook (22) engages in the opening (16a-16c) in the outer clamping band (10) end and a tip of the tongue (28) engages in the tongue recess (20) and the tongue (28) is configured to be moved into the togue recess when the clamp is being tightened by narrowing the ear-like tightening structure (18).In order to reduce the risk of buckling, it is proposed that the inner band end (14) includes a longitudinal rib (24) configured to be arranged below the depression (36) of the web (34) in the pre-assembled configuration, wherein at least an end portion (24a) of said rib (24) has a height continuously decreasing towards the tongue (28) and/or dot (26) protruding toward the outer band end (12) is provided at a shoulder portion of the inner band end (14).