Hose Clamp Locking Mechanism with Guided Trajectory
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hose clamps face issues with smooth transition from closed-diameter to opened-diameter states due to the use of leverage, leading to misalignment and failure in locking operations, especially when gripping with tools.
Innovation Solution
A hose clamp design featuring a body with radially bent spring pieces, grip pieces, a lock portion, a receiving portion, and a restricting portion that guides and restricts the trajectory of the lock portion during deformation, ensuring smooth locking and unlocking operations without increasing the number of parts or reducing strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If leverage is used for the release of the hose clamp from the opened-diameter state, then the hose clamp can be released, but the lengths of the grip pieces must be set to different values, causing misalignment and failure in locking operations
Solution Approach 1:
The body is segmented into multiple functional portions: a first grip piece, a second grip piece, a lock portion, a lock receiving portion, and a restricting portion. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function independently, enabling the lock portion to be guided along a proper trajectory by the restricting portion while maintaining the leverage mechanism for release operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The restricting portion acts as an intermediary element between the grip pieces and the lock receiving portion. It guides the lock portion along a proper trajectory during the locking operation, preventing misalignment caused by the leverage mechanism, and ensures smooth engagement without requiring different grip piece lengths.
2Ease of operation
If the grip piece serving as fulcrum is rendered shorter for leverage operation, then release can be achieved, but the tool assumes an inclined state causing the grip piece to be displaced and lifted, resulting in trajectory deviation and locking failure
Solution Approach 1:
The restricting portion is designed to preemptively counteract the harmful displacement and lifting of the lock portion that would otherwise occur due to the inclined tool state during leverage operation. By providing a guiding surface beforehand, it prevents trajectory deviation before it can cause locking failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The restricting portion serves as a guiding intermediary that mediates between the leverage operation and the locking operation. It allows the grip pieces to be operated with leverage while ensuring the lock portion follows a correct trajectory, thereby maintaining both ease of operation and reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the lock portion is allowed to displace freely during elastic deformation, then the body can transition between states, but misalignment occurs preventing smooth locking
Solution Approach 1:
The restricting portion is designed with specific geometric parameters (inclined surface, positioning surface) that change the displacement parameters of the lock portion during elastic deformation. These parameter changes guide the lock portion along a controlled trajectory, ensuring proper alignment while maintaining the body's adaptability to transition between opened and closed diameter states.
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
Enables smooth transition between closed and opened states, preventing misalignment and ensuring reliable locking and unlocking, even when using tools, by guiding the lock portion and restricting its displacement effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a body formed by crossing both ends of a band-shaped spring piece on a circumferential plane while the spring piece is bent into an annular shape, the body being elastically deformable between a closed-diameter state and an opened-diameter state
Implementation Method 2
a lock receiving portion provided on the other grip piece side and elastically displaced together with the lock portion radially with respect to the body relative to each other when the first and second grip pieces are caused to come close to each other along a circumferential direction
Data Source
AI summary
A hose clamp includes a body elastically deformable between a closed-diameter state and an opened-diameter state, a first grip piece, a second grip piece, a lock portion located on either the first or second grip piece, a lock receiving portion located on the other grip piece side and elastically displaced together with the lock portion when the grip pieces are caused to come close to each other, thereby being locked to the lock portion by a subsequent return operation. The lock receiving portion holds the body in the opened-diameter state when in a locked state, and a restricting portion is capable of restricting displacement of both grip pieces in reverse of the direction of the elastic displacement. Either the first or second grip piece formed with the restricting portion has a distal end located lower than a distal end of the other grip piece when the body is in the closed-diameter state.