Spring Loaded Jumper Cable Clamp With Perpendicular Jaw Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional jumper cable clamps are unreliable and unsafe due to their reliance on friction to resist the pulling force of cables, especially in vibration situations, leading to potential damage and dislodging from battery terminals, and existing solutions fail to provide a consistent press force or secure locking mechanism.
Innovation Solution
A jumper cable clamp design featuring a housing with perpendicular jaws and a lever assembly that includes a biasing member to maintain a clamping position, ensuring secure engagement and resistance to cable pull forces through a coaxial alignment of the cable and jaws, with a locking mechanism to prevent accidental dislodging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the spring's tension is increased to overcome cable pulling force, then the clamp's holding force is improved, but the clamp becomes more difficult to operate by hand and more expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp employs a dynamic jaw configuration where the jaws can rotate from a parallel orientation (during closing) to a perpendicular orientation (during clamping). This dynamic movement allows the clamp to achieve high holding force perpendicular to the cable pull direction without requiring excessive spring tension, resolving the contradiction between holding force and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the orientation dimension of the jaws from parallel to perpendicular relative to the cable pull direction. By orienting the jaws perpendicular to the pulling force, the clamp leverages the spring force more effectively in the direction that resists cable dislodgement, achieving high holding force without increasing spring tension excessively.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid locking mechanism is used to prevent dislodging, then the clamp's stability is improved, but the contact surfaces of soft materials undergo plastic deformation and the clamp loses press force
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp uses a dynamic jaw orientation system that allows the jaws to rotate and maintain optimal contact with the battery terminal. The jaws can adapt their orientation to distribute pressure evenly across the contact surface, preventing localized plastic deformation while maintaining stable clamping. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between stability and press force retention.
3Device complexity
If the clamp relies on friction between jaws and objective to resist pulling force, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability is insufficient especially in vibration situations
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp performs a preliminary action by rotating the jaws to a perpendicular orientation before the cable pull occurs. This pre-positioning of the jaws ensures that the clamping force is already oriented optimally to resist the impending cable pull direction, significantly improving reliability without adding complex mechanisms. The perpendicular jaw orientation is established in advance to counteract vibration and pull forces.
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 clamp effectively resists dislodging from battery terminals by applying a consistent clamping force perpendicular to the cable pull, ensuring secure attachment and preventing damage, even in vibration conditions, while allowing easy operation and adjustment for different terminal sizes.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member for biasing the second jaw towards its clamping position when the lever arm is in its closed position
Implementation Method 2
The clamps have to rely on the friction between the jaws and the objective to overcome the pulling force
Data Source
AI summary
Herein is disclosed a jumper cable clamp which includes a housing having an elongated arm having a head portion and a second end configured to mount to the jumper cable and hold the jumper cable in coaxial alignment with the elongated axis. First and second jaws are mounted adjacent the head portion perpendicular to the elongated axis. The first jaw is electrically coupled to the jumper cable. The clamp further includes a lever assembly coupled to one of the first and second jaws for moving the jaw between a clamping position wherein the first and second jaws are sufficiently close together to clamp onto the terminal and an open position wherein the first and second jaws are sufficiently spaced apart to permit the terminal to be free from the jaws. The clamp further includes a lock mechanism for locking the first and second jaws in their clamping position.