Exothermic Mold Handle Clamp With Detent Brackets and Spring Bolts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Exothermic welding molds require frequent replacement, leading to high costs, and existing handle clamps for adjusting and positioning molds are cumbersome, especially when hot, due to the need for manual alignment and tightening of brackets.
Innovation Solution
A handle clamp with removably fixed mounting brackets and a detent mechanism that allows for easy adjustment and secure alignment with different mold configurations, along with spring-driven bolts for secure engagement with stabilizer holes, simplifies the process of attaching and detaching mold sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If single shot molds are used, then mold removal is simplified, but mold cost increases due to frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple separable sections that can be detached from each other. This allows the mold to be reused multiple times by separating the sections after welding, contrasting with single-shot molds that must be discarded. The segmentation enables both ease of removal and cost efficiency through reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle clamp incorporates a locking mechanism that can be engaged or disengaged to secure mold sections during welding or release them for removal. This dynamic locking system allows the same mold sections to be repeatedly attached and detached, enabling reuse while maintaining secure positioning during operation.
2Reliability
If manual alignment and tightening of brackets is required, then secure attachment is achieved, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting brackets are designed to self-align with the mold sections through predetermined engagement features. When the mold sections are positioned on the handle, the brackets automatically align and engage with corresponding features on the mold, eliminating the need for manual alignment operations while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The brackets are pre-configured with engagement features that correspond to features on the mold sections. This preliminary configuration ensures that when the mold sections are placed on the handle, the brackets are already positioned to engage securely, reducing the operational steps required for attachment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If thumbscrews are used for bracket adjustment, then positioning flexibility is achieved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting brackets incorporate self-aligning features that automatically position them correctly relative to the mold sections. This self-positioning capability provides the necessary adaptability for different mold configurations while eliminating the time-consuming manual adjustment operations previously required.
Solution Approach 2:
The brackets and mold sections feature asymmetric engagement geometries with specific keyed features that allow only one correct orientation. This asymmetric design provides positioning flexibility for different configurations while automatically eliminating incorrect positions, reducing adjustment time compared to symmetric designs requiring trial and error.
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 handle clamp enables efficient and safe handling of molds, reducing the need for manual alignment and simplifying the attachment process, allowing for repeated use of mold sections and reducing the risk of burns from hot molds.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-driven bolt that engages with a stabilizer hole on the mold section
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a handle clamp for an exothermic mold. The clamp includes a pair of legs, each having a plurality of rods that are shaped to fit into engagement holes on sections of the mold. The rods of each leg engage with one section of the mold. Engagement brackets are rotatably disposed on one or more or the rods. The brackets each have a thumb bolt that can be extended toward a mold section connected with the clamp. When engaged with the mold section, the thumb bolt stabilizes the mold section on the handle. A detent mechanism is provided between the bracket and the leg of the handle. The detent mechanism releasably holds the bracket in one of a selected plurality of rotational positions with respect to the rod. By selecting different rotational positions for the brackets, the handle can be configured to engage with different configurations of mold. The thumb bolts that are biased toward the mold section by a spring. The bolts include a key that can be aligned or misaligned with a key slot on the bracket. By aligning the key with the key with the key slot, the bolt can be moved toward or away from the mold section under the biasing force of the spring. By misaligning the key and key slot, the bolt can be locked into engagement with the mold section or else held in a disengaged position.