Quick release mounting apparatus
First Claim
1. A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:
- a telescoping clamping mechanism,.comprising;
(i) a male drive shaft and a mating female drive channel, (ii) a biasing member between the drive shaft and the drive channel for elastically biasing the drive shaft toward the drive channel substantially along a common axis, (iii) a locking mechanism structured for constraining the biasing member between the drive shaft and the drive channel, and (iv) one of the drive shaft and the drive channel being structured for being secured to an external mounting surface; and
a pair of substantially rigid jaw structures each structured for being secured to a respective one of the male and female portions of the clamping mechanism, each of the jaw structures having a respective mounting surface coupled to respective one of the drive shaft and drive channel and having a clamping surface projected therefrom and forming mutually opposing interior clamping surfaces arranged therebetween.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A universal cradle apparatus having a pair of substantially rigid jaw structures each configured with a flange structure having a substantially planar mounting surface adapted for being secured to respective cooperating male and female portions of a spring-return clamping mechanism formed of telescoping male linear drive shaft and mating female linear drive channel. The two jaw structures are each configured with an inclined interior clamping surface that is projected above the respective flange structure. The jaw structures are mounted on the respective drive shaft and drive channel each having its respective inclined interior clamping surface facing toward the inclined interior clamping surface of the other jaw. A spring is coupled for biasing the male drive shaft into the mating female drive channel of the clamping mechanism, thereby driving the two jaw structures together along a linear drive axis of the clamping mechanism.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:
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a telescoping clamping mechanism,.comprising;
(i) a male drive shaft and a mating female drive channel, (ii) a biasing member between the drive shaft and the drive channel for elastically biasing the drive shaft toward the drive channel substantially along a common axis, (iii) a locking mechanism structured for constraining the biasing member between the drive shaft and the drive channel, and (iv) one of the drive shaft and the drive channel being structured for being secured to an external mounting surface; and
a pair of substantially rigid jaw structures each structured for being secured to a respective one of the male and female portions of the clamping mechanism, each of the jaw structures having a respective mounting surface coupled to respective one of the drive shaft and drive channel and having a clamping surface projected therefrom and forming mutually opposing interior clamping surfaces arranged therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:
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first and second jaw structures each having a device mounting surface and an interior clamping surface projected there above and inclined there toward;
a telescoping clamping mechanism, comprising;
(i) a female linear drive channel formed of a pair of spaced-apart walls having an opening therebetween, at least one of the walls being resiliently flexible, and at least one of the walls having a notch formed therein adjacent to the opening, (ii) a compression spring sized to fit between the spaced apart walls of the female linear drive channel, (iii) a male drive shaft sized to slidingly fit between the spaced-apart walls, the drive shaft having the device mounting surface of the first jaw structure positioned adjacent to a first end thereof and a second end thereof being structured for engaging a first end of the spring, and (iv) a locking key having a body portions sized to fit between the spaced-apart walls, the body portion having a detent structured to substantially permanently interlock with the notch and to engage a second end of the spring;
the device mounting surface of the second jaw structure positioned on the drive channel and arranged to cooperate with the first jaw; and
a substantially rigid base plate positioned on the clamping mechanism, the base plate being structured for being coupled to an external surface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. universal cradle apparatus, comprising:
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first and second jaw structures each having a base flange formed with a substantially planar device mounting surface and an interior clamping surface projected above the device mounting surface and inclined there toward at an angle between about forty-five degrees and about ninety degrees;
a telescoping clamping mechanism, comprising;
(i) a frame member forming a substantially rigid T-shaped channel having an opening thereinto formed at a first end thereof and having a substantially rigid but resiliently flexible wall structure that includes at least one notch formed therein adjacent to the opening;
(ii) a substantially rigid bar having an elongated T-shaped drive shaft extending from a first end thereof, the elongated drive shaft being structured to be slidingly received into the T-shaped channel through the opening thereinto and further including a spring engagement structure formed distal from the first end of the bar, (iii) a locking key having at least one substantially rigid detent projecting from a substantially rigid body portion, the detent being structured to interlock with the notch formed in the T-shaped channel, and (iv) a compression spring that is sized to be received into the T-shaped channel through the opening thereinto and is further sized to be at least partly compressed when positioned between the locking key and the spring engagement structure of the elongated drive shaft;
the base flange of the first jaw structure coupled to the bar adjacent to the first end thereof; and
the base flange of the second jaw structure coupled to the frame member. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification