Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Clasp – clip – support-clamp – or required component thereof – Including pivoted gripping member
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-08
2001-12-11
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof
Including pivoted gripping member
C024S455000, C024S496000, C024S568000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327756
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally concerned with fixing clamps for attaching an article of any kind to a support of any kind, whether the fixing clamp is permanently fixed to the article, of which it forms an integral part, or constitutes an accessory which is attached to the article only as and when required.
It is more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, directed to the situation in which the article concerned is an inspection lamp, i.e. a mobile electrical lamp that a user can move as required to illuminate as well as possible a site in which the user is working.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To leave their hands free, it is important for the user to be able to put the inspection lamp down on, and preferably attach it to, a support of any kind, often of an improvised kind.
The fixing clamps commonly provided for this purpose usually have two jaws, both of which pivot, and which are therefore mobile relative to each other between an open position and a closed position, return spring means which spring-load the jaws towards their closed position, and an operating handle, generally a simple lever, for actuating the device which is accessible to the user and which is attached to one of the jaws, referred to hereinafter for convenience only as the bottom jaw, the other jaw being referred to hereinafter for convenience only as the top jaw.
Until now, and for simplicity, the two jaws have been directly articulated to each other about a common rotation axis.
This arrangement has been satisfactory and may continue to be so.
However, it has the drawback that it makes it difficult to meet the usual requirements in a convenient way.
One of these requirements is that, in the closed position of the jaws, the return spring means operating on the jaws must be non-negligibly prestressed.
It is important for the clamping force exerted by the jaws when they are engaged with a support to remain sufficient even if the support is relatively thin, for example a sheet of metal or glass or a ladder rung.
Another requirement is that the angle to which the jaws open must be sufficient, in practise at least 50°, so that they can be engaged with a relatively thick support, for example a plank.
Because the two jaws are articulated to each other and because the operating lever is coupled to the bottom jaw, all of the angle to which the jaws can open is reflected in the opening travel of the operating lever, which can make it difficult to handle for at least some users.
Because the force to be exerted on the operating lever inevitably increases as the jaws open, the force is frequently relatively high at the end of travel, which is uncomfortable for the user, if it originally has a non-negligible value to satisfy the aforementioned prestressing requirement, which from this point of view means that the two requirements to be satisfied are contradictory.
A general object of the present invention is an arrangement which overcomes the above problems and has other advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To be more precise, the present invention consists in a fixing clamp including two pivoting jaws which are mobile relative to each other between an open position and a closed position, return spring means which spring-load the two jaws at all times toward their closed position, and an operating lever which is accessible to a user and which, for operating the clamp, is attached to one of the jaws, referred to hereinafter for convenience as the bottom jaw, the other jaw being referred to hereinafter for convenience as the top jaw, in which clamp the two jaws are articulated to a spacer about separate rotation axes and include mutual bearing means such that pivoting of one of the jaws in one direction causes the other of the jaws to pivot in the opposite direction.
The above arrangements, which merely entail the provision of an additional component, mean that the opening travel of the operating lever is reduced by half for the same opening angle of the jaws, which advantageously makes the device easier to handle.
The angle to which the jaws can open is the sum of the angle by which each of them can open relative to the spacer linking them, and it is therefore doubled for the same angular opening capacity for the bottom jaw, on which the opening travel of the operating lever is directly dependent.
Well known in the art are clamps like the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,900 in which each of the two jaws pivots about its own axis and is attached to an operating lever operated by the user independently of the other jaw of the clamp.
Such clamps can be satisfactory in some applications, but do not amplify the angular travel of the operating lever.
According to one feature of the invention, the return spring means acting on the jaws can advantageously act between one jaw and the spacer linking them, rather than directly between the jaws.
As a result, for the same angular opening capacity of the jaws, and therefore for the same opening travel of the operating lever, the load on the return spring means is reduced by half, which, other things being equal, means that the return spring means can be prestressed to a greater degree in the closed position of the jaws, which is beneficial in terms of clamping them to a relatively thin support, and which makes the force to be overcome to open the jaws more constant, this force advantageously being deployed over a smaller range of operation of the spring means, which is more comfortable for the user.
Also, the smaller opening travel of the operating lever advantageously improves the ergonomics of the fixing clamp of the invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the return spring means are operative between the top jaw and the spacer and, at the end opposite their free end relative to their rotation axis, each jaw has a heel through which they bear on each other.
The opening of the top jaw is therefore simply the result of the opening of the bottom jaw, the bottom jaw pushing directly on the top jaw as a result of the force applied to the operating lever to which it is fastened.
Given the action of the return spring means, the respective heels of the two jaws are advantageously always in contact with each other, without any clearance.
Finally, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacer is in two parts.
This simplifies its manufacture and the assembly of the device as a whole.
The part of the return spring means by which they are engaged with the spacer can advantageously be operative directly between the two parts of the spacer without it being necessary to attach any auxiliary part thereto to hold it in place.
Also, the central part of the spacer being freed up in this way, the heels through which the jaws bear on each other can advantageously lie substantially in the median plane of the jaws, which is beneficial from the point of view of centering the forces transmitted and therefore from the point of view of overall operating conditions.
The features and advantages of the invention will emerge further from the following description given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 534679 (1895-02-01), Atwood
patent: 5052086 (1991-10-01), Nasuno
patent: 5369851 (1994-12-01), Merkel
patent: 5464182 (1995-11-01), Stekelenburg
patent: 5581900 (1996-12-01), Payne
patent: 5678284 (1997-10-01), Genero et al.
patent: 5799404 (1998-09-01), Payne
patent: 5819425 (1998-10-01), Payne
patent: 0848398 (1952-09-01), None
patent: 0 445 014 (1991-09-01), None
Legrand
Sakran Victor N.
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Fixing clamp, especially for inspection lamps does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Fixing clamp, especially for inspection lamps, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fixing clamp, especially for inspection lamps will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2573285