Inline Clamp System With Helical Scroll Wheel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clamps, such as C-clamps, bar clamps, and bench clamps, suffer from limited reach, difficulty in operation, and obstruction of the workpiece surface, making them unsuitable for various applications and user-friendly use.
Innovation Solution
An inline clamp system featuring a base, shoe with teeth, and a scroll wheel with a helical feature, allowing for linear movement of the shoe through rotational engagement, providing improved reach, ease of use, and surface accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional C-clamps or bar clamps are used to clamp workpieces, then clamping force is provided, but the upper arm covers a portion of the workpiece surface preventing operations such as sanding
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp mechanism is inverted so that the clamping force is applied from above rather than from the side. The base remains stationary on the support surface while the shoe moves vertically to apply clamping force through the workpiece, allowing the entire upper surface to remain accessible for operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping action is transitioned from horizontal (side-to-side) to vertical (up-and-down) movement. The shoe moves vertically along the base to apply clamping force, changing the dimension of clamping action from lateral to vertical, thereby exposing the workpiece surface for operations.
2Productivity
If conventional clamps are used, then clamping function is achieved, but they are relatively difficult and time consuming to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The manual screw mechanism is replaced with a scroll wheel and helical feature mechanism. Rotating the scroll wheel engages the helical feature to rapidly extend or retract the shoe, providing faster and easier operation compared to conventional screw-based clamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp mechanism uses dynamic rotational movement of the scroll wheel to achieve rapid linear extension and retraction of the shoe. This dynamic mechanism allows quick adjustment and operation, improving both speed and ease of use.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional clamps are used, then clamping is achieved, but they have a limited reach restricting use to near the edge of a support surface
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp design is inverted so that the base remains stationary on the support surface while the shoe extends forward to apply clamping force. This allows the clamp to be positioned anywhere on the support surface rather than requiring placement at the edge, significantly improving placement flexibility.
4Device complexity
If conventional clamps are used, then clamping force is applied, but the structure is cumbersome due to elongated bars
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated bar component is extracted and replaced with a compact base-shoe mechanism. The shoe extends forward from a compact base and connects directly to the support surface, eliminating the need for long bars and reducing overall structural complexity while improving usability.
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 inline clamp system offers enhanced functionality, ease of use, and versatility, enabling secure clamping of straight and cornered workpieces with a compact design, saving time and improving product quality.
Implementation Method 1
a scroll wheel having a helical feature on a cone shaped surface. The helical feature of the scroll wheel meshes with the teeth of the shoe such that rotation of the scroll wheel in a first rotational direction causes linear movement of the shoe in a first linear direction
Implementation Method 2
The helical feature of the scroll wheel meshes with the teeth of the shoe such that rotation of the scroll wheel in a first rotational direction causes linear movement of the shoe
Data Source
AI summary
An inline clamp system having a base, a shoe having a plurality of teeth and a scroll wheel having a helical feature on a cone shaped surface. The helical feature of the scroll wheel meshes with the teeth of the shoe such that rotation of the scroll wheel in a first rotational direction causes linear movement of the shoe in a first linear direction and rotation of the scroll wheel in a second rotational direction causes linear movement of the shoe in a second linear direction, the first rotational direction being opposite the second rotational direction and the first linear direction being opposite the second linear direction. The scroll wheel rotates around an axis of rotation at a slight angle to the linear plane of movement of the shoe such that the helical feature engages the teeth only on one side of the axis of rotation.