Thumb 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;
first and second mounting surfaces each positioned on a respective one of the drive shaft and the drive channel; and
a first substantially rigid jaw structure and a second resiliently flexible jaw structure, each of the first and second jaw structures being coupled to a respective one of the drive shaft and drive channel adjacent to the respective mounting surface thereof, each of the jaw structures having a respective clamping surface projected therefrom and forming mutually opposing interior clamping surfaces arranged adjacent to the mounting surfaces positioned therebetween, and the clamping surface projected from the second substantially resiliently flexible jaw structure being inclined toward the mounting surfaces.
1 Assignment
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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. One of the two jaw structures is configured with an inclined interior clamping surface that is projected above the respective flange structure and in resiliently flexible relationship therewith. The jaw structures are mounted on the respective drive shaft and drive channel each having its respective interior clamping surface facing toward the 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;
first and second mounting surfaces each positioned on a respective one of the drive shaft and the drive channel; and
a first substantially rigid jaw structure and a second resiliently flexible jaw structure, each of the first and second jaw structures being coupled to a respective one of the drive shaft and drive channel adjacent to the respective mounting surface thereof, each of the jaw structures having a respective clamping surface projected therefrom and forming mutually opposing interior clamping surfaces arranged adjacent to the mounting surfaces positioned therebetween, and the clamping surface projected from the second substantially resiliently flexible jaw structure being inclined toward the mounting surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:
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a telescoping clamping mechanism, comprising;
(i) a female linear drive channel formed of a pair of spaced-apart walls having an opening therebetween at a first end thereof, 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 a first end thereof and a second end thereof with the second end thereof being structured for engaging a first end of the spring, and (iv) a locking key having a body portion 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;
a first device mounting surface formed on an external surface of the female linear drive channel and a first jaw structure being positioned adjacent to a second end thereof opposite from the opening between the pair of spaced-apart walls;
a second jaw structure having a second device mounting surface formed thereon and an interior clamping surface projected above the second device mounting surface and inclined there toward and being resiliently flexible relative to the second device mounting surface, the second jaw structure being positioned on the male drive shaft adjacent to the first end thereof with the second device mounting surface arranged substantially parallel with the first device mounting surface and the inclined interior clamping surface being 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. A 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, the interior clamping surface of one of the first and second jaw structures being resiliently flexible relative to the device mounting surface and further being inclined toward the device mounting surface 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