Mounting Rail Retaining Clip With Cam Clamping in Tight Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assembly units with threaded nuts require significant space and effort for tightening and loosening, especially when a specified tightening torque is applied, making them cumbersome for use in confined spaces and assembly.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a clamping pin and sleeve-shaped clamping element featuring a curved or spiral guideway converts rotational movement into longitudinal movement, allowing for easy handling and secure clamping with minimal rotation, and includes guide stops and depressions to prevent incorrect operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a threaded nut and threaded rod are used for clamping, then a secure clamping force can be achieved, but a considerable amount of space is required and considerable assembly and disassembly effort is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a curved or spiral guideway instead of a linear threaded path. The clamping cam follows this curved guideway during rotation, converting rotational movement into longitudinal clamping motion. This curved path eliminates the need for extensive rotational space required by threaded nuts while reducing the number of components needed for achieving secure clamping.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the threaded nut and threaded rod components from the clamping mechanism. By using a clamping cam that moves along a curved guideway on the clamping lever, the patent removes the complex threading structure while maintaining the essential clamping function, thereby reducing assembly and disassembly effort.
2Manufacturing precision
If a threaded nut is tightened in the holding position with a specified tightening torque, then a defined contact pressure is achieved, but considerable assembly and disassembly effort is required
Solution Approach 1:
The curved guideway is designed with specific geometric characteristics that automatically ensure the clamping cam reaches the correct position in the holding state. The guide path itself provides the positioning function, eliminating the need for external torque control mechanisms or precision threading, thereby reducing assembly effort while maintaining defined contact pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the clamping mechanism from a threaded parameter-based system (where torque controls position) to a cam-based system where the geometric path of the guideway directly determines the clamping position and contact pressure. This parameter change from rotational threads to cam follower geometry simplifies the assembly process.
3Area of stationary object
If a threaded nut and threaded rod are used, then adjustable clamping force is achieved, but significant space is required for tool operation
Solution Approach 1:
The curved or spiral guideway allows the clamping cam to achieve the full range of clamping motion through a limited rotational arc. This curved path packs the necessary mechanical motion into a compact space, eliminating the need for the extensive linear space required by threaded fasteners and their tools, thereby enabling faster assembly in confined areas.
4Ease of operation
If a clamping device with curved guideway is used, then easy handling in confined spaces is achieved, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the curved guideway structure. The guideway simultaneously provides the motion conversion function (rotational to longitudinal), the positioning function (defining the holding state), and the geometric constraint function (ensuring proper cam alignment). This consolidation reduces the number of separate components compared to a threaded system, offsetting the apparent complexity of the curved path.
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
Facilitates easy assembly and disassembly in confined spaces with reduced effort, ensuring a defined contact pressure and secure clamping of the mounting rail between clip parts, while preventing unintentional detachment of the clamping cam.
Implementation Method 1
at least one guideway with a curved or spiral path, in which at least one associated spigot bit or clamping cam held on the clamping spigot is guided in such a way that a relative rotary movement between clamping element and clamping spigot is converted into a longitudinal movement of the clamping element on the clamping spigot
Implementation Method 2
The spring element presses the clamp parts apart, so that the retaining clip can be easily opened
Implementation Method 3
the contact pressure generated by the clamping device in the holding position can be set to a defined value
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly unit (101) with at least one mounting rail (102) to which at least one retaining chamber (103) can be detachably fixed. The retaining chamber has two clamping parts (104, 105) which can be clamped against each other by means of a clamping device (106) such that the clamping parts clamp the mounting rail between them, at least in a partial area. The clamping device has a clamping pin (107) which projects from a first clamping part (104) and passes through a through-opening (108) in a second clamping part (105).The clamping device has a sleeve-shaped clamping element (109) for applying pressure to the second clamping part, which is rotatably mounted with its sleeve interior on or at the clamping pin and has at least one guide track (110) with a curved or spiral path, on which at least one associated pin lug or clamping cam (111) held on the clamping pin is guided in such a way that a relative rotational movement between the clamping element and the clamping pin is converted into a longitudinal movement of the clamping element on the clamping pin.