Toggle Lever Clamp Sensor Assembly and Drive Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toggle lever clamps face issues with intricate designs to retain sensor assemblies, potential debris entry, leakage due to large slots, limited mounting positions, and high manufacturing costs of one-piece drive shafts.
Innovation Solution
A toggle lever clamp design with a sensor assembly fastenerlessly held by the housing and cylinder assembly, featuring a movable sensor pickup on the rod for stroke adjustment, a simple housing design, and a multi-piece sinter-bonded drive shaft for cost reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If fasteners such as screws or bolts are used to secure the sensor assembly, then the sensor assembly can be readily removed and replaced, but the housing requires intricate designs to retain the sensor assembly and fasteners provide opportunities for debris entry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes fasteners (screws, bolts) from the sensor assembly retention system. Instead, the sensor assembly is retained by the natural interference fit between the sensor mounting features and the housing/cylinder assembly, eliminating the need for separate fastening components and simplifying the housing design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a sensor assembly retention mechanism that uses the housing and cylinder assembly themselves as the retaining structure, rather than separate fasteners. The sensor assembly is held in place by the geometric relationship and interference fit between components already present in the system.
2Ease of operation
If fasteners are used to secure the sensor assembly, then the sensor assembly can be easily removed, but debris can enter through fastener holes and the sensor assembly must seal a large slot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates fastener holes from the housing design by removing the need for screws and bolts. The sensor assembly is retained through interference fit and geometric constraints, which close off potential pathways for debris entry while maintaining easy removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor assembly itself acts as a seal by filling the retention space completely, eliminating large open slots that would require sealing. The tight fit between sensor assembly and housing/cylinder assembly prevents debris ingress while allowing straightforward installation and removal.
3Ease of operation
If manual handles are fixed in position on the housing, then the handle provides stable operation, but the handle protrudes outwardly reducing the number of mounting positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the manual handle movable relative to the housing, allowing it to be positioned at different locations along the housing perimeter. This dynamic positioning capability enables the handle to be optimized for different mounting scenarios while maintaining operational stability when positioned and secured.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle design allows a single handle component to serve multiple mounting positions on the housing. The handle can be relocated along the housing to accommodate different installation requirements, making the clamp adaptable to various mounting configurations without requiring multiple specialized handle designs.
4Strength
If a one-piece drive shaft is used, then the shaft endures high stress forces, but the manufacturing cost is expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drive shaft into multiple separate pieces rather than manufacturing it as a single monolithic component. These segmented shaft sections are then joined using sinter bonding technology, which creates a strong composite structure that maintains stress endurance while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sinter bonding to create a composite structure from multiple metal pieces. The sintered joint creates a metallurgical bond between the shaft segments, producing a composite drive shaft that approaches the strength of a one-piece shaft while being much more economical to manufacture.
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 solution reduces housing complexity, prevents debris entry, allows fine handle adjustments, and enhances mounting flexibility while lowering manufacturing costs through a sinter-bonded drive shaft.
Implementation Method 1
The device provides a multi-piece shaft sinter bonded together to reduce cost
Data Source
AI summary
The toggle lever clamp has a clamp housing coupled with a cylinder assembly. A piston assembly is movable within the cylinder assembly. A rod is coupled with the piston assembly. The rod extends into a cavity within the clamp housing. A toggle lever assembly is coupled at one end of the rod inside of the clamp housing. A sensor assembly is coupled with the clamp housing. The sensor assembly includes a pair of sensors or switches spaced from each other and positioned on a mounting plate. The mounting plate is slidably secured within the clamp housing. A sensor pickup is movably positioned on the rod so that the sensor pickup is multi-positionable on the rod to adjust the stroke of the toggle lever assembly.