Foldable Wedge Carriage for Secure Clamping Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamping devices face challenges with wedge misalignment and falling out during installation and use, particularly when holding elongate articles like cables or wire ropes.
Innovation Solution
A carriage with foldable holding portions attached to a central portion via hinges, featuring retaining formations with hooks and resilient elements to securely hold clamping members, and an urging arrangement using a spring and reaction member to push clamping members into engagement with the article.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional carriages are used to hold wedges in clamping devices, then the structure is simple, but the wedges can become misaligned or fall out during installation and use
Solution Approach 1:
The holding portions are made foldable relative to the central portion, allowing them to transition between open and closed positions. This dynamic structure enables the holding portions to securely enclose the clamping members during installation, preventing misalignment and falling out, while maintaining a compact form when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage is divided into a central portion and multiple separate holding portions. Each holding portion can independently fold and secure a clamping member, providing modular retention that prevents any single failure point while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If foldable holding portions are added to the carriage, then wedge misalignment and falling out are prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable holding portions provide dynamic adjustment capability that ensures precise alignment of clamping members during installation. The portions can be opened for easy insertion and then folded closed to secure precise positioning, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
3Reliability
If retaining formations with resilient elements are used, then clamping members are securely held, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient elements automatically engage with the clamping members when the holding portions are folded closed, providing self-securing retention without requiring additional fastening operations. The elastic properties of the resilient elements create automatic holding force that maintains clamping member security throughout use.
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
Ensures proper installation and secure clamping of elongate articles by preventing misalignment and falling, while effectively engaging the clamping members with the article through a central path and tapered housing passage.
Implementation Method 1
The retaining formations of each holding portion may further include a resilient element to engage the clamping member and press the clamping member onto the hook formation
Implementation Method 2
an urging arrangement for urging the carriage along the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A carriage for holding a clamping member in a clamping device, the carriage having a central portion and at least one holding portion for holding the clamping member, wherein the, or each, holding portion is foldable relative to the central portion between an open position of the, or each, holding portion and a closed position of the, or each, holding portion.