GB2297801A

GB2297801A - Component clamping system

Info

Publication number: GB2297801A
Application number: GB9602683A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter David Jenkins
Original assignee: Miniflex Ltd
Current assignee: Miniflex Ltd
Priority date: 1995-02-10
Filing date: 1996-02-09
Publication date: 1996-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2016-02-09
Also published as: GB9502608D0; GB9602683D0; GB2297801B

Abstract

The present invention relates to component clamping systems for holding together components along a seam. Two components 4,5 are placed together along a seam 3. A seat 16,17 with a T-section profile and with outwardly directed channels 13,14 is provided along and either side of the seam 3. A clamping member 2 has a jaw 15 with inwardly directed lips 11,12. The lips have a clearance for the seat 16,17 when the clamping member 2 is placed transversely across the seam 3 and over the seat. The clamping member 2 has wires 6,7 attached at its ends and the components 4,5 are clamped together by pulling the wires in opposite directions to rotate the clamping member. The lips of the jaw then engage with the channels of the seat to clamp the components together. A set of clamping members can be used together along the seam.

Description

Component Clamping System The present invention relates to component clamping systems for holding together components along a seam.

There are many ways of holding together two components along a seam. For permanent fixings, parts may be welded or glued. Such joins can have the same strength as the bulk of the material, but are either time consuming or relatively difficult to achieve. Rivetting is another technique, which does not achieve the same high strength or durability, but which is easier to do.

There are also many ways of achieving a less permanent join between seams. Typically, these are less strong or durable, but may be much easier to effect. This is because the parts are held together only at a relatively small number of points, such as with screws, or with a relatively small surface area, such as a bayonet fixing. In these cases, the strength and durability of the fitting could be increased either by adding more screws, or by increasing the complexity of the mechanism, but the cost of manufacture or assembly will rapidly rise.

The present invention provides a component clamping system for forming a clamped join between components, comprising at least one clamping member having a jaw, at least two components having a seat either side of a seam between the components, and movement means for moving one side of the jaw relative to the other side of the jaw in a direction substantially along the seam, in which the components are clamped together by spanning the seam with the jaw and then mov ng at least one side of the jaw to bring and hold botch sides of the jaw into compressive engagement with the seat.

Before clamping the components, the jaw of the clamping member may be in sliding contact with the components.

When more than one clamping member is used to clamp the components, the movement means may act on just some of the clamping members, for example peripheral or end clamping members. The other clamping members may then move by contact with those clamping members upon which the movement means acts.

A clamping member may have an attachment point and the movement means may have a wire which is attached to the clamping member at the attachment point and which may be pulled to move and hold the jaw into engagement with the seat. In particular, the wire may be fixed at the attachment point with an anchor, and then tightened to pull the clamping member. It is advantageous to use two wires, one for each side of the seam, and each pulled in opposite directions.

A rod may in some circumstances be used in place of the wire. A wire may have the advantage of flexibility, particularly when passing around corners. However, a rod may push as well as pull, and may therefore be used to unclamp the clamping members.

The component clamping system may have an end stop and the other end of the wire may then be attached to the end stop.

The end stop may also have means for tightening the wire.

The end stop may be fixed to a component or slidable along the seam. In one arrangement, the wires may be attached to a threaded bolt which is tightened in a corresponding bore fixed in an end stop member which is itself fixed with respect to the seam. A clamping member, whether or not it is pulled directly by a wire, may have an aperture therethrough for the passage of the wire.

It is sometimes necessary to form a join across a seam around or in the vicinity of sharp corners. A further embodiment of the present invention provides a curved corner extension member, in the form of a tube or channel for conveying the wire or rod between two adjacent clamping members or groups of clamping members. Such an extension member may be formed from a resilient tube adapted to abut clamping members, and enclose the wire.

A similar straight extension member may be also be used between groups of clamping members along a straight seam, when clamping members are not needed along the entire extent of the seam.

The components to be clamped may, for example, form a linear seam, or a seam in the form of a loop, in which case the clamping member or members may be arranged around the loop.

The loop may be a circle around the outside of a cylinder.

When the clamping member or members is/are moved to clamp the components together, the clamping member or members may exert around the loop an inwards compressive force.

In the case of a linear seam, the clamping members in the clamped positions preferably locate to a feature in the components so that the members cannot be removed. This locating mechanism may, for example, be a tongue and groove arrangement.

In the case where the clamping members clamp a seam around the outside of a tube or cylinder, there may be no need for such a tongue and groove arrangement, because the clamped members will be compressed in towards the outside wall of the cylinder. For exar,pte, the seat may be a plain fla directed aay from the components. In such a situation, it m also be convenient if one end stop member is used to tighten both wires.

In the case of a linear seam, however, it will generally be necessary for such a flange to have grooves such as outwardly directed channels, in which case the jaw may have inwardly directed lips adapted to engage with the channels.

In general, however, for linear or curved seams, one or both sides of a jaw may be formed with a lip, and the seat may then be formed with a corresponding channel or channels adapted to receive the lip or lips when the clamping member is clamped.

Such a seat may have a T-section profile adapted to engage with a jaw having lips with a C-section profile.

A third embodiment of the invention provides a clamping member with a flexible or hinged centre section adapted to bend or flex to allow one end of the jaw to move relative to the other end.

Such a clamping member may have a single flexible centre section, or a single hinge.

In a fourth embodiment of the invention, which is a variant of this flexible clamping component, the clamping member may be elongate along the seam and be formed with a plurality of flexible centre sections or hinges, and as such may be formed in extensive lengths as an extrusion.

One form of clamping member is a rigid body elongated to span across or transverse to the seam, with the jaw formed at or towards the ends o= the body. The distance between the jaws may be chosen to be greater than the distance between the seats which may run parallel on both sides o the seam, in which case the clamping member is placed across the seam, at right angles to the seam and the seats, and then rotated or flexed to engage the seats and clamp the components together.

A clamping member may be rotated manually or with a tool.

A series of abutting clamping members may be pulled and rotated in unison with a wire that is fixed to an end clamping member and which passes through apertures in the others. Such a system may alternatively be pushed or pulled by a rod.

In order to prevent the jaw from digging into the seat, the surface of the jaw that locates on the seat is preferably provided with a curved or chamfered profile.

In a system involving multiple clamping members, it is important that the linear extent of the members in the clamped position does not exceed the extent in the unclamped position. For example, if the transverse elongated clamping members are rectangles in outline, and are rotated into the clamped position, say by the wire pull arrangement described above, then the distance the wire will travel through the apertures is greater in the clamped orientation, than in the unclamped orientation. Thus, for a series of such rectangular clamping members, the members will not remain in the clamped position because the wire will relax to shorten its length.

It is therefore advantageous if a clamping member, which is elongate transverse to the seam, has a head at each end with a profile so that as one end of the jaw is moved relative to the other end, the distance through the head parallel to the seam remains the same or decreases. For example, a head with a circular profile will present the same distance through the head parallel to the seam as the clamping member is rotated.

Clamping members are preferably formed from a plastics material. In applications with a large number of abutting clamping members, a low friction material such as nylon may be advantageous in order to ease any sliding movement between members and the components during the clamping operation. In embodiments requiring hinges or flexible centre sections, suitable flexible plastics may be chosen.

The strength of the join across the seam will increase as the number or extent of the clamping members is increased.

The invention will now be further described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a clamping system according to a first embodiment of the invention, having a pivotable clamping member with a jaw and two components with a seat along either side of a seam; Figure 2 shows the clamping system of Figure 1, with the jaw of the clamping member spanning the seam; Figure 3 shows the clamping system of Figure 2, with the clamping member rotated to clamp the seat and join the components together; Figures 4 shows plan and end cross-section views o' the clamping system according to the first embodiment o' the invention. with multiple clamping members before joining the compcnents;; Figure 5 shows plan and end cross-section views of Figure 4 after joining the components; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the clamping system according to the first embodiment in a circular arrangement with multiple clamping members and an end stop; Figure 7 shows an enlarged plan view of the end stop and some of the clamping members of Figure 6 before joining components Figure 8 shows an enlarged plan view of the end stop and some of the clamping members of Figure 6 after joining the components; Figure 9 shows a top plan view of a clamping system according to a second embodiment of the invention in a rectangular arrangement with groups of multiple clamping members and corner extension members; Figure 10 shows enlarged views of one corner of the clamping system of Figure 9 before and after rotation of the clamping members;; Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a clamping system according to a third embodiment of the invention, having a clamping member with a flexible centre section and a jaw, and two components with a seat along a seam; Figure 12 shows the clamping system of Figure 11, with the centre section of the clamping member stretched to engage the jaw with the seat; Figure 13 shows plan and part cross-section views o the clamping system of Figure 11 with multiple clamping members after joining the components; Figure 14 shows a perspective view of a clamping system according to a fourth embodiment of the invention with a single extended clamping member with multiple flexible centre sections and a jaw spanning two components having a seat along a seam.

Figure 15 shows the clamping system of Figure 14 with the clamping member stretched to clamp the seat and join the components together; and Figure 16 shows a plan and part cross-section view of the clamping system of Figure 14 with the clamping member stretched to clamp the seat and join the components together; Figure 1 shows a clamping system 1 before assembly of an elongate clamping member 2 across a seam 3 defined by the join between two components 4,5. An upper wire 6 passes through an aperture (not shown) in the clamping member 2.

The upper wire 6 has at one end a wire anchor 8 which is to be pulled and seated into a recess 9 in one end of the clamping member 2.

A similar lower wire 7 is shown passing through an aperture 10 in the other end of the clamping member 2. The lower wire 7 extends in the opposite direction to the upper wire 6.

The clamping member 2 has a jaw 15 adapted to locate with a corresponding seat 15,17 with outwardly opposed channels 13,1 < along and either side of the seam 3. The jaw l: has inwardly opposed lips 11,12 with a C-section profile. The channels have a T-section profile adapted to engage and locate with the C-section profile of the lips.

The clearance between the inwardly opposed lips is just enough to permit the jaw to fit over the outer edge of the channels when the long axis of the clamping member is perpendicular to the length of the channels.

Figure 2 shows how the clamping member 2 is assembled with the components 4,5 by first directly fitting the clamping member over the seam 3.

Figure 3 shows how the ends of the clamping member 2 are pulled by the wires 6,7 in opposite directions to rotate the clamping member so that the lips 11,12 are retained by the channels 13,14. The clamping member is rotated until the surfaces in the jaw 15 locate on the seat 16,17 at which stage the components 4,5 are clamped and held together along the seam 3.

Figure 4 shows multiple clamping members assembled and in the unclamped orientation, with two end clamping members 41,42 and with a third clamping member 43 in between. Two components 44,45 have a seat 46,47 with a separation designated x. Jaw lips 48,49 fit over the seat 46,47 with clearance. The seat has channels 50,51 with a separation designated y, y being less than x.

Figure 5 shows the arrangement of Figure 4 in the clamped orientation, in which wires 52,53 have been pulled in opposite directions to rotate the clamping members 41,42,43 and cause the lips 48,49 to engage within the channels 50,51. It is important to note that because of the circular profile of the ends of the clamping members, the distance traversed by the wire through the clamping members is the same in both the clamped and unclamped orientations.

Figure 6 shows clamping members 61 arranged in a circular configuration for clamping around the outside of a tube or cylinder (not shown). At one point around the circumference there is an end stop member 62 with two threaded wire tightening mechanisms 63,64.

Figure 7 shows part of Figure 6 in more detail. The clamping members 61, are fitted over two components having a seat 71,72 and spanning a seam 73. The clamping members are attached to and/or threaded by upper and lower wires 74,75, one end of which passes through the wire tightening mechanisms 63,64.

Figure 8 shows the arrangement of Figure 7 in the clamped position, after the wires 74,75 have been tightened.

In Figure 9, clamping members 91 are in the relaxed or unclamped orientation and arranged in groups in a rectangular arrangement for clamping around the outside of a rectangular seam (not shown). An end stop member 92 is provided mid way along a short side of the rectangle. At each corner of the rectangle there is a pair of flexible corner extension members 93.

One corner is illustrated in detail in Figure 10 showing separately a pair corner extension members 94,95. The corner extension members are hollow and have an internal clearance for upper or lower wires (not shown).

Figure 10 also shows the enlarged corner in the tightened or clamped position. The corner extension members 94,95 have flexed to accommodate the movement o' the clamping members 91 Figure 11 shows a clamping member 111 with a flexible centre section 112 in an unflexed state. This clamping member 111 has a jaw 115 with lips 116,117 and is fitted over a seat 118,119 having channels 125,126 in two components 113,114 in a similar manner to that described above. In the unflexed position the jaw's lips 116,117 have separation x with a clearance to fit over the seat 118,119.

Figure 12 shows the clamping member 121 with the centre section in a flexed state as it would be in a clamped position. For clarity, the clamping member is shown separated from the components 113,114. Wires 122,123 attached to the clamping member have at one end conical anchors, one of which 124 can be seen in the drawing. When the wires 122,123 are pulled the clamping member 121 is flexed into the clamped position in which the separation between the lips 116,117 is y, y being less than x, thereby locating the lips 116,117 into the channels 125,126.

Figure 13 shows three multiple flexible clamping members assembled and in the clamped orientation with two flexible end clamping members 131,132 and with a third flexible clamping member 133 in between. Two components 113,114 are clamped together as upper and lower wires 122,123 are pulled in opposite directions.

Figure 14 shows in the unflexed and unclamped state a unitary extended clamping member 141 with multiple flexible centre sections 142. This clamping member 141 has been assembled with twO components 143,144. The flexible clamping member 141 has inwardly directed lips 145,146 similar to those described above and with a separation x having clearance for a seat 147,148 on the components 143,144.

The clamped state for the unitary clamping member 141 is shown in Figures 15 and 16. Two wires, of which only an upper wire 151 is visible, are pulled in opposite directions to flex the clamping members and engage the lips 145,146 in the channels 152,153 which have, as before, a separation y which is less than x. The components 143,144 are thereby clamped and held together.

With the unitary flexible clamping member 141, it may be possible to eliminate the need for the wires 151 by making an attachment to the clamping member at each end. For example, the attachment may be made with screw-in fittings on diagonally opposite corners, and then flexing the clamping member by applying a tension directly to the clamping member 141 to effect the same required distortion as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

Claims

1. A component clamping system for forming a clamped join between components, comprising at least one clamping member having a jaw, at least two components having a seat either side of a seam between the components, and movement means for moving one side of the jaw relative to the other side of the jaw in a direction substantially along the seam, in which the components are clamped together by spanning the seam with the jaw and then moving at least one side of the jaw to bring and hold both sides of the jaw into compressive engagement with the seat.

2. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 1, in which there are a number of clamping members and the movement means acts on at least one of the clamping members.

3. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which a clamping member has an attachment point and the movement means has a wire which is attached to the clamping member at the attachment point and which may be pulled to move and hold a jaw into engagement with the seat.

4. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 3, in which the component clamping system has an end stop and one end of the wire is attached to the end stop.

5. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 4, in which the end stop has means for tightening the wire.

6. A component clamping system as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 5, in which a clamping member has an aperture therethrough for the passage of the wire.

7. A component clamping system as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 6, in which two adjacent clamping members are separated by an extension member through which the wire passes.

8. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 7, in which the seam has a corner and the extension member is curved between clamping members on either side of the corner.

9. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the extension member is tubular.

10. A component clamping system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the seam forms a loop and the clamping member or members is/are arranged around the loop.

11. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 10, in which the clamping member or members exert around the loop an inwards compressive force when the components are clamped together.

12. A component clamping system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the jaw and seat engage in a tongue and groove arrangement.

13. A component clamping system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the seat has a flange directed away from the components.

14. A component clamping system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or both sides of the jaw are formed with a lip, and the seat is formed with a corresponding channel or channels adapted to receive the lip when the clamping member is clamped.

15. A component clamping system as claimed in any precedin claim in which the seat has a T-section profile adapted to engage with a jaw having a C-section profile.

16. A component clamping system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the clamping member has a flexible middle portion which flexes to allow one end of the jaw to move relative to the other end.

17. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 16, in which the clamping member is elongate along the seam.

18. A component clamping system as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 16, in which the clamping member is elongate across the seam.

19. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 18, in which the jaw is formed towards the ends of the clamping member.

20. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 18 or Claim 19, in which the clamping member rotates to bring both sides of the jaw into engagement with the seat.

21. A component clamping system as claimed in any of Claims 18 to 20, in which a clamping member has a head at each end with a profile such that as one end of the jaw is moved relative to the other end, the distance through the head parallel to the seam remains the same or decreases.

22. A component clamping system as claimed in Claim 21, in which the head has a circular profile.

23. A component clamping system as claimed in any precedIng claim, in which the surface of the jaw that locates on the seat has a curved profile.

24. A component clamping system substantially as herein described, with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.